


Child of the Future

by heartsdesire456



Series: Child of the Future [1]
Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, F/M, Falling In Love, Family, Fate & Destiny, Flirting, Fluff, M/M, Marriage, Mpreg, Multi, Prophecy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-03
Updated: 2015-05-03
Packaged: 2018-03-28 19:19:22
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 33,173
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3866752
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heartsdesire456/pseuds/heartsdesire456
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When it is discovered that Thranduil is with child, he and Thorin must overcome their dislike for each other for the sake of their realms. However, when it is revealed that their child may well be the future of their kingdoms, it is by threat against Thranduil and the life of their child that they discover that there are far more important things at stake than their own tempers.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Child of the Future

**Author's Note:**

> I have no clue how this happened. It just did. I just... wow. This is a thing that happened. A long thing that happened.

In the long months after Erebor was retaken, there was much to take care of. Thorin required several weeks to recover, alongside his sister-sons, under the careful attention of Balin for the first few days for fear he might succumb to his wounds as had been feared the day of the battle. There was much reconstruction to be done, as well as a mad scramble to find a way to sustain the small company while also preparing to bring the rest of their people from the west by spring. 

Once more, Erebor would be the home of Durin’s folk. 

A peace had fallen up on his people, and Thorin was very aware how precious the very idea of peace was for most of them. A peace with the Elves, and with Men, meant there were plans to begin trading and commerce again. Already the forges were working to churn out trinkets to be sold in the city the Men were reconstructing from the ruins of Dale. Thorin took care to pay the debts his grandfather had owed to the Elves to try and forge an alliance that would mean prosper for both Dwarves and Elves alike. They struck an alliance with the Men of the Lake and were once more finding a companionable existence with them, even so far as to allow men and boys from the city to labor towards removing rock and rubble alongside his kin while they awaited the first wave of dwarves from the west to arrive at their newly reclaimed home.

Because of this growing recovery, Thorin was flummoxed when Fili came to him as he allowed his first audiences for his people to come to their king with their concerns and leaned into his ear. “Uncle, there is someone here from Mirkwood who demands to see you-“

“Where is he?! Where is your king? Where is the filth who sits upon your throne?!” Shouts from the hall outside the throne room startled several of those there to meet with Thorin, as did the slam of the doors being thrown wide. 

Fili stood tall and drew his sword and Thorin stood, raising his hand to stop the guards from attacking the elf who had forced and fought his way into his halls. “Legolas, Prince of Mirkwood. Speak carefully of a king in the presence of his company,” he warned, eyeing the young elf curiously.

Legolas stalked closer to the throne, weaving between those who had been awaiting an audience. “I will not hold my tongue! They deserve to know the dishonorable wretch they call their king!” he shouted, stopping at the base of the throne only because Kili came from behind it, drawing his bow to aim at him from the side while Fili started down the steps.

“Do not take another step, Elf,” Fili threatened and Thorin held a hand up to stop him.

He eyed the rage in the elf’s eyes. “My prince, I have no quarrel with you. What slight can I have possibly made upon you while recovering within my halls? I have not set foot outside the gates since the battle-“

“You _mock_ me?!” Legolas spat. “You know what you did! You have no honor! I know not what a _dwarf_ views as honorable, but among my people, to force yourself upon another is despicable-“

“You DARE impugn my king’s honor?!” Fili demanded, stomping down the steps to stop so he was eye-level with Legolas. 

“Your king knows what he did and there is NO HONOR-“ But Legolas’s tirade was silence by the most unexpected voice.

“Daro hen, Legolas!” 

Thorin looked up with wide eyes. “What is the meaning of this?” he asked as Thranduil stalked through the doors of his halls with six guards around him. “Since when do people just _waltz_ into my kingdom unannounced-“

“King Thorin, I beseech you to accept the humblest apologies by not just me but my entire realm for the behavior of my son,” Thranduil said loudly, voice echoing through the chamber as his guards cleared a path through the dwarves gathered. “And I only hope Prince Legolas has not dishonored his kingdom and insulted the Dwarves of Erebor beyond our peace accord,” he said, casting an angry look on his son.

“Adar, I will not stand for this! Why did you follow me?! You-“

“Legolas, respect your king!” Thorin recognized the redheaded elf who rushed around the guard leading the Elvenking and grabbed Legolas by the arms. “What is this nonsense?! King Thorin could have your head-“

“Silence, all of you!” Thorin called, then gestured to Dwalin. “Clear the chamber, it appears a matter of diplomacy has arisen that will restrain me from any further audiences today.” He waited until his people had cleared the room, leaving only guards, Fili and Kili, and the elven company upon them. He stalked down the steps, brow furrowed with discontent, stopping a few steps above Fili. “I demand to know what other false claims you would-“

Legolas jerked out of Tauriel’s hold with an enraged cry and actually attempted to throw himself at Thorin, only to have a long, slender arm shoot out of the mass of guards and yank him backwards by his own hair. “You stupid, stupid boy!” Thranduil snapped, dragging his son back. “I told you to _stop_. I demanded as your king and your father to _stay inside our borders_ and still you defy me!” He threw him at the closest guards, who held him. “Now you bring shame upon your people by daring to _lash out_ at a king in his own throne room!” He threw out an arm towards Thorin. “Bow to the king of this realm and maybe I can beg your head not be removed from your shoulders!”

Legolas stood tall, looking unashamed. “I will not kneel before the _ulunn_ who dared force himself upon my king,” he said coldly.

“ _Mahal!_ What nonsense do you let your son believe?!” Fili demanded.

Thranduil’s glare turned on his sun was full of fire. “I told you, no one forced themselves upon me-“

“Yet you admitted it was him!” Legolas argued.

Thorin gazed upon Legolas warningly and solemnly. “You know as well as I that Thranduil would not be standing among us had I or any other forced him.”

Legolas’s glare did not waver, but Tauriel and the rest of the elven guards turned shocked looks upon him, even gasped. Kili and Fili both turned to Thorin with confused looks. “What does that mean?” Kili asked, the only one brave enough to speak.

Thorin held Legolas’s gaze, daring him to speak out and deny what Thorin knew was truth. “Not many outside the elves know of it, but to rape an elf is to kill an elf. Elves spirits die, along with their body, if they are forced.” He gestured to Thranduil. “The Elvenking appears alive and well, does he not?” he challenged.

Legolas gritted his teeth. “The only other possible way he carries your child is one that is _not_ possible,” he growled.

Thorin’s gaze snapped to Thranduil so fast his neck cracked, but Thranduil was shaking his head in shame at his son, not looking his way. “What is the meaning of this?!” Thorin demanded, and Thranduil looked to Legolas.

“I _told_ you what happened. I told you it was no concern of anyone but me-“

“My Lord?” Tauriel gasped, looking at him in shock. “Are you-“

“Yes,” Thranduil said tightly. 

Fili and Kili turned shocked gazes to Thorin. “ _Uncle_?!” Fili demanded and Thorin looked between his nephews before looking back to Thranduil, who held his head high, tilting it.

“Fear not, Thorin, King under the Mountain. It is of no concern to you-“

“It is of no concern to me that you _carry my child_?!” Thorin spluttered, and Thranduil narrowed his gaze.

“Do not think too hard on it, Dwarf. I want nothing from you.” He glanced back to Legolas. “Nothing except that you spare the fool of a prince of my realm who dared threaten you in your own halls.”

Fili held up a hand. “Wait, you mean to tell me you _voluntarily_ …” He looked at Thranduil. “With _him_?” he asked skeptically.

Kili frowned. “Male elves can bear children?” he asked, looking horrified as he absentmindedly put a hand on his own middle and stared into the distance.

“Elves of the Sindar can,” Tauriel said, looking at her king with a strange look.

Thorin pointed to the doors. “Fili, Kili, take them to wait for me. Thranduil and I need to go discuss in private.”

Tauriel looked torn. “King Thorin, surely you understand, King Thranduil cannot be without at least a few guards-“

“I will be fine,” Thranduil said to her, then nodded to his guards to follow Kili and Fili. “I am under no threat here.”

“Sire,” one guard attempted, but Thranduil silenced him with a look.

“Father?” Legolas asked incredulously. “Do you think it wise-“

“You do not get to question what is or is not wise, Legolas,” Thranduil said angrily. “And yes, I will be safe. King Thorin will not slay another king in his own halls, especially not one with child, even more, a child with blood of the line of Durin. I am certain I am safe within these halls,” he reassured. He looked to Thorin, who simply walked off his throne, going to doors leading away from the main hall. 

Thorin trusted Thranduil would follow him, too shaken and shocked to dare look back at the elf who, apparently, carried his child.

~

Thorin led Thranduil to a small chamber where he did his writing and waved away the guards who followed them inside. “I require privacy with a delicate matter,” he said, and the guards bowed as they shut the doors behind him and Thranduil. Thorin walked to the roaring fireplace, but Thranduil gestured with a slender had towards the table.

“May I?” he asked, and Thorin tossed his hand in welcome. Thranduil seemed to deflate some as he undid his heavy cloak and lowered himself into a chair, allowing his shoulders to slump. “I apologize for the impropriety. I grow weary much faster these days, and we rode without stopping to try and catch Legolas before he entered your halls,” he apologized, leaning back into the chair.

Thorin’s eyes were stuck upon the obvious swell to Thranduil’s belly. Now that his cloak was pooling around the chair beneath him, his simple riding tunic and leggings did much less to hide his form. “So it is true. You are with child,” Thorin said, and Thranduil followed his gaze to his middle, then chuckled dryly.

“Yes, there is no trick planned,” Thranduil said, hand resting on his rounded middle. “I have managed to keep it hidden from others until Legolas came to me while I was resting. No others dare disturb me in my chambers, but he had urgent business and did not bother sending a servant. When he found me in nothing but a thin gown, he saw and demanded answers.”  
Thorin grunted. “So you told your prince that I had _forced_ you-“

“I did not,” Thranduil defended firmly. “I told him it was of no concern of his who fathered this child, and when I made the mistake of telling him the day of conception, he realized it was the same day as I held a private audience with you during your stay-“

“Imprisonment,” Thorin corrected and Thranduil narrowed his gaze.

“Seeing as you were trespassing in my kingdom, it was only logical you be locked in the dungeons-“

“Yes, because wandering through a forest and fighting your intrusive spiders is such a crime-“

Thranduil stood and stalked towards Thorin. “I did not perceive the threat of dwarves in my forest-“ 

Thorin stepped up to him, raising his voice. “This is why I struggle so hard to trust _elves_! I try my hardest to not hold the same prejudices as my forefathers!” Thorin grabbed Thranduil’s tunic, tugging him down to yell in his face.

Thranduil’s jaw clenched and he jerked out of Thorin’s grasp. “Oh for goodness sake, this is how we ended up in this situation to begin with,” he said, turning and walking away, putting space between him and Thorin.

Thorin had a flash of that particular shouting match and how it had ended with his hands in Thranduil’s hair and Thranduil shoving him onto his own throne while ripping at his clothes and chuckled, shaking his head. He rubbed a hand over his eyes, turning to Thranduil with a somewhat helplessly amused look. “I guess it is,” he allowed and Thranduil sniffed haughtily, turning his head. Thorin leaned against the fireplace as Thranduil sat again. “Are you certain-“

“If you finish that sentence, I will only assume you are implying something about my honor, Dwarf,” Thranduil said in a warning tone.

Thorin glanced over his shoulder. “Well does it not imply _something_ about your honor that you are in the state you are now?” he asked and Thranduil flushed with anger.

“That was a mistake. It was a moment of desire stoked by anger and shock at seeing _you_ of all people.” Thranduil glared. “Do not presume elves are not honorable.”

Thorin chuckled, shaking his head. “Thranduil, I would not pass judgement upon you, for you are a king of your realm. You are the one who could have any you wish. How was I to just take without at least asking that your word that the child you bear is mine is good?”

Thranduil looked down, shame in his features. “You surely remember that the desires of elves are not so frivolous. The only reason my body craved it is memory of what pleasure yours could give it. It was an unimaginable mistake out of lust and anger, nothing more.”

Thorin looked to him. “That is another thing,” he said softly, reluctant to bring the past into the present more than it already had been. “Why did you not mention long ago when it might have been relevant that you can bear children?” He shot him a look. “It seems that might have been useful information.”

Thranduil shrugged. “I did not think on it. Elves do not bear many children and the Sindar are few. Not often is there a tale of one such as I.”

Thorin turned. “What do you intend to do about your people now that your guards know of your state and surely rumor will spread?”

Thranduil raised an eyebrow. “Nothing.”

“Nothing?” Thorin asked incredulously. “You plan to just bear a child and not explain?”

Thranduil shrugged indifferently. “I have an heir. I need not explain my second child. Though now that it has surfaced the child is a _dwarf_ child, I suspect rumors will be more troublesome,” he admitted, looking slightly worried.

Thorin felt a pang of horror. “ _Mahal_. We will have to marry,” he realized and Thranduil scoffed.

“No, we very much will _not_!”

Thorin turned to him incredulously. “You wish to bare a child out of wedlock?! A child of two kings at that?”

Thranduil raised an eyebrow. “I wish to not involve you at all, I wish to return home with my child and raise it as I did Legolas: Alone.”

“Thranduil, a dwarf cannot have a child out of wedlock, especially not the king,” Thorin stressed, walking to sit across from him at the table. “It is intensely against my culture to father a child out of wedlock-“

“Should have thought of that before bedding an elf over a century ago, shouldn’t you?” Thranduil asked and Thorin huffed.

“Dwarves who wish to seek marriage eventually often have relations before marriage, they just do not have children outside of marriage. If a child is conceived the dwarves marry quickly,” he explained. “You do not understand. I stand on tenuous ground, Elvenking,” he stressed, eyes full of sincerity. “I cannot have a scandal such as this so soon after taking my crown.”

Thranduil eyed him in amusement. “Oh look how the mighty Thorin Oakenshield needs the help of an elf-“

“This is no laughing matter,” he pressed. “I need no heir, Fili is my heir, but he is not ready to be a king and should this scandal be found out by my kin, there are those who would challenge my right to rule the halls of this mountain.” He shook his head. “I have cousins from the East who would see the alliance so fragile forged between our kingdoms shattered and probably that with the Men of the Lake as well.” He gave Thranduil a fearful gaze. “We are all of us too weak for the alliance to fail, Thranduil. You know this. Fili is barely more than a boy. If this drives me from my throne, then your kingdom will face the consequences and the Men of the Lake will be stripped of commerce they greatly need.”

Thranduil cursed, looking away. “I cannot marry again. I was married once before. It is not done amongst my people.” He winced. “Even so, it would make no difference even if I were to marry you. The child will be born within half a year. Elvish custom demands a year of betrothal.”

Thorin gave him a glare. “You do not care that you defy Elvish custom to not lay with another outside of marriage – a dwarf, no less – yet you cannot bear to break custom by marrying before you birth a child out of wedlock?” he demanded skeptically.

“My people hold tradition highly-“

“And by not breaking that tradition you damn them to lose the brittle peace there is between our kin!” Thorin argued. He stood, shoving his chair. “I do not wish this any more than you, believe me, but I am practicing a selflessness far unlike my lineage would suggest when I say we should marry.” He gestured to the door. “I care not for the throne half as much as I do my people’s prosperity. I fought, and faced death, and _nearly succumbed to the lust for gold_ for these people. I would relinquish my throne to a worthy successor who is prepared to continue this peace, Thranduil, but there is none for Fili is too young. The scandal of this would strike a blow far beyond my own crown.” He shot him a look. “If it were you who were at risk of Elrond taking your crown, would you stand by tradition, then?”

Thranduil gave him an amused look. “Elrond would not break the peace between our people-“

“You are not taking this seriously!” Thorin argued, slamming a hand on the table, looking into Thranduil’s eyes. “Thranduil,” he said, voice softening. “I do not wish to marry you. I do not wish to marry any. I am like many others who care far more for my craft and my role than for marriage. Since my people went west I have never once cared to marry, and definitely not _you_ ,” he said bitterly, anger creeping in on his tone again. “But this is not about me, or you. This is about the future of three kingdoms.”

Thranduil sighed, jaw setting bitterly. “You always were the only dwarf I ever met who was even open to the suggestion of peace between our people,” he admitted unhappily. He looked into Thorin’s eyes. “What would you have me do, King under the Mountain? If I marry you, that legitimizes this child as your heir. Do you think that the dwarves would ever follow the rule of a _half elven_ King?” he questioned.

Thorin hesitated. “I confess… I do not know.” He looked at him again. “But I do know that by the time it comes to that, I will have two I trust ready to take my throne in place of my firstborn. I also know that, while that is a question that is impossible to predict, the birth of a child out of wedlock _will_ bring doom upon the treaty between our people.”

Thanduil looked aside, his pride clearly wounded. “I request time to return to my kingdom and convene a council to discuss the possibility of a political marriage between our houses,” he proposed. “Elves do not marry for politics, but perhaps this tenuous treaty and the consequences of it failing would be enough to have the traditions regarding betrothal be ignored.”

Thorin nodded. “Fine. In the meantime, I shall discuss the possible options should you decline my offer and I face being dethroned. Perhaps, should it come to it, I can have a regent appointed to assist Fili so that he is believed to be strong enough to rule without being challenged by my cousins.”

Thranduil stood quickly. “That seems a wise choice.” He swept his cloak on, doing it up so that his belly was once more hidden. “It should be another half-year before the child is born, but we must act quickly if we wish to keep this hidden longer. You shall have your answer in two months’ time at the latest. I fear I cannot possibly keep the child hidden beyond that.”

“That is agreeable,” Thorin said with a nod. He watched Thranduil straighten and wince. “King Thranduil, I must insist you and your company rest before leaving on your journey. You are weary and you could use a few days rest before you make the return journey. You say you rode through the night and at great speed. Even an elf must sleep eventually.” He opened the door and called for a guard. “See that the Elven company within our halls receive rooms and food so that they may all rest for their journey.”

Thranduil looked surprised, but bowed his head in thanks. “I am grateful for your hospitality, King Thorin.”

Thorin watched as the guard led Thranduil away and he let the door fall shut just long enough to bang his head against the wood for a few minutes before recovering so that he could seek out those he trusted to begin talks about what had happened.

~

The day after Thranduil and his company left to return to his realm, Thorin called a meeting of his council. Fili and Kili already had some idea of what was going on, but the others were whispering furiously when Thorin opened the doors and entered. “Thorin, there are rumors spreading about peace with the elves, and about some slight you made against the Elfking,” Oin asked, standing. “What news is there?”

Balin gave him a sad but unsurprised look. “Has the treaty fallen?”

Thorin sat at the head of the table, clearing his throat. “Not yet, and it will not while I remain on the throne.”

Fili looked up, eyes wide. “You make that sound as if it is a possibility,” he said worriedly.

Thorin smiled bitterly. “As you and your brother are aware, there is a … matter. Which could bring great shame upon me unless certain… actions are taken.” He looked around the table. “The Elfking is seeking guidance from his own council on the matter, and we shall know within two months’ time what the outcome.” He sighed. “My fear is that my rule is so new and I only recently recovered well enough to actively rule, therefore a shame upon me could drive my cousins from the east to challenge me for my throne and the people arriving from the east could choose to support Dain over me.”

Gloin slammed a hand on the table. “That is madness! What shame could there possibly be on you that great?”

Dwalin eyed him worriedly. “You did not do what the boy accused you of, did you?” he asked and Thorin rolled his eyes.

“Do you honestly think me capable of _forcing myself_ upon anyone, much less a King?” he demanded, and Dwalin shook his head.

“I would not think it, but you speak of great shame after the accusations the Prince accused you of,” he said and Thorin settled in his seat some, reluctant to speak out.

Balin looking at him knowingly, an amused twinkle to his eyes. “But the boy had grounds to believe so, didn’t he? You may not have forced him, but you did lay with the Elvenking, didn’t you?” he asked all-knowingly.

There were sounds of shock and confusion, though Fili and Kili were keeping quiet, which drew the attention of Dori. “Wait, you two know something!” he accused and Fili and Kili glanced in tandem to their uncle.

“Uncle…” Kili trailed off as Fili shushed him.

Balin looked at him expectantly, eyebrow raised. “Well out with it, laddie.”

Thorin nodded. “I did,” he confirmed. There was a flurry of conversation, but Dwalin shook his head.

“That’s not shameful enough to lose you your throne. You worry too much, Thorin,” he said, looking relieved.

“Except elves of the Sindar can get pregnant,” Kili muttered, and Fili elbowed him as silence descended upon the table.

Thorin straightened, hands resting on the arms of his chair. “Thranduil is with child.”

Dwalin settled in his seat. “Ah. That’ll do it,” he agreed, nodding. 

Balin gave him a surprised look. “Did you know this when you and he were running around together over a century ago?” he asked and Thorin jerked to look at him as everyone else fell silent.

“You knew-“

“I had my suspicions,” Balin said with a smirk.

Fili looked at Thorin in shock. “This was not some- some _misguided mistake_?” he asked and Thorin sighed as nearly all the others began asking him nearly the same question.

“With an _Elf_?” Gloin asked and Kili nodded.

“Honestly, what could you even find attractive about the elves?” he asked, only to shrink when every eye turned to him with flat looks. “What?”

Fili snorted. “Do not pretend we don’t all know about you seeking courtship with the warrior maiden.”

“Or about you calling that elf boy in Rivendell pretty,” someone piped up, making them all burst into laughter at the young ones expense.

Fili gave Thorin a look. “Clearly it is genetic,” he said and Thorin sighed, leaning forward, elbows braced on the table.

“Look, the past is not of importance now,” Thorin said grimly. “What matters is that in a half-year there will be a child that is the offspring of the King of the Woodland Realm and the King under the Mountain. For those that do not know the details of the other day, Prince Legolas apparently discovered his father is with child and demanded to know who the father was. When he revealed it is me, Legolas assumed the only way I could have fathered his half-sibling is to have forced myself on him.” He nodded to Dwalin. “He can attest that the elf stormed into my halls demanding I answer for my ‘crimes’ against his king, and right on his heels were his king and a company of guards.” He shook his head. “Thranduil and his guards tried to catch Legolas before he dishonored me in my own halls and disgraced his kingdom.”

“And what a slight it is! To try and attack a king in his own throne room!” Kili proclaimed loudly.

Thorin shrugged, leaning back. “I might have once had him held for it, but as it is, if I believed someone had forced himself upon your mother, I would not care if he were a king or not, I would challenge him for it. I cannot fault the elf for believing falsely. It’s not as if it made sense that his father let me take him willingly.”

Balin nodded. “So you let them all leave, then?”

Thorin nodded. “The matter of the child is much larger of a problem than some slight made by an enraged prince.” He shook his head. “If we do not marry before the child is born, I will be disgraced. He tells me he had no plans of ever letting anyone know where the child came from, he planned to raise it alone the way he did Legolas after his wife was killed, but the peace that we, the Elves and the Men all fought for is reliant upon me retaining my throne.”

“Dain,” Balin agreed. “He would not keep a treaty with elves, especially not the very Elfking that Thror himself told tales of the realms treachery.” 

“And if the treaty with the elves should fail, it would mean the detriment of all three races, Men, Elves, and Dwarves.” He looked around the table. “The people of Dale deserve our commerce after what they sacrificed for us. And the Elves for giving us the aid we needed in spite of my hostility towards them. If Dain dethrones me, if he gains the favor of the people who have not yet arrived and do not know what all we have faced, the peace of this region will shatter.”

“The only answer is marriage,” Fili finished and Thorin nodded, proud of his nephew and heir for clearly learning and understanding the diplomacy at hand. 

“Then… you’re marrying him?” Kili asked, and Thorin sighed, rolling his eyes.

“King Thranduil is discussing with his council whether the peace and treaty are in enough peril to forge a political marriage, for elves apparently hold ceremony at the highest of respect and though he had no problems breaking tradition in the past with the affair Balin outed me for, he now wants to respect tradition and not marry since he was married once before” He shrugged. “It is up to him convincing his people to see a political marriage fit. Traditionally, the child would be born before the betrothal period of the elves was respected. He asked me for two months, all he believes he may hide the child for, and then he will have his answer.”

Balin hummed. “So the fate of the kingdom as it is now rests in the hands of Thranduil, King of the Woodland Realm. He who made an enemy of your grandfather and turned his back on us when Erebor first fell.”

Thorin wanted to agree, but he knew that, if this was to be a successful peace, he should be honest with his council at least. “There is… more to it than that.” He looked around. “I never agreed with Thror in his treatment of the elves. I was there, as a dwarfling, when Thranduil commissioned jewels be made in our forges. He paid Thror heavily for it in an attempt to find some semblance of trust between our peoples. When he returned, my grandfather laughed in his face and refused to return the jewels without payment and the stubbornness of elves and a mad dwarf with a lust for gold only made the relations between our realms even worse. Still, the elves made their trips, they had their diplomatic councils, and as I grew, so did my resentment towards Thror for how he treated them.”

“You were always so fascinated with elves,” Balin recalled. “I first suspected your interest in the Elvenking when your eyes watched his golden hair everywhere he turned from your grandfather’s side.”

Thorin blushed slightly. “I admit. I was younger than Kili when I began my obsession with the elf. It was misguided and foolish for me to allow such an obsession to become more, but I was but a child, really, when the affair began. I was about Kili’s age when the Elvenking began to notice me and would allow me to give him private tours of the catacombs. I was barely of a mature age when things became more than that.”

“So you were dallying with an elf king that your grandfather despised?” Fili asked incredulously.

Thorin smiled sadly. “I was a foolish boy who fell in love with an exotic, beautiful Elfking who I thought had fallen in love with me.” He shook his head, chuckling darkly. “We even were planning to convince my grandfather to allow him my hand in marriage as a bridge between our kingdoms.”

“Were you really?” Balin asked in surprise. “I never assumed that much.”

“Clearly he had no intentions of doing so,” Thorin clarified. “He has expressed now the traditions of elves never re-marrying, and it was not long after that, when Smaug came he turned his back on us all. It made me come to realize he had never intended to marry me and never felt love for me, for how could he have turned his back on his beloved like that?” He shook his head. “No, I was but a boy and the broken heart hardened into the same hatred for elves that my grandfather and father instilled in us all. They are deceitful and untrustworthy, for certain.”

“And yet you clearly found yourself in a position to _father his child_ ,” Dori accused, and Thorin grimaced.

“An intense loathing towards someone does not, I fear, diminish the physical attraction. We both were very angry and shouting in each other’s faces was bound to end in coming to blows, and instead it ended in a rather different interaction.” He gave a grim glare. “Do not doubt that, while I am willing to put aside judgment and personal feelings for the betterment of our people, their people, and the Men of the Lake, I still find Thranduil distasteful and deceitful. Look at his plan to not ever reveal that the child he carries is mine!” he said, gesturing. “A child of the line of Durin raised solely as an elfling! How could anyone trust a thing he says or does?” He shook his head. “But I have seen the sense that I once knew, and that is that not all elves are so, and such prejudices are only detrimental to us all.”

Balin leaned his head back, tapping his fingertips together. “If the marriage does not take place, the shame of a child out of wedlock would be great indeed. It could lose you the support of enough to allow Dain to take your throne. What other options are there besides that?”

Thorin shook his head gravely. “I fear there are none. Fili is not yet old enough or ready to take my throne should I have to step down in order to keep it from passing to Dain. The best we can hope for, in the event that the marriage does not take place, is that the people will support Fili if a regent is appoint to advise him in his matters.” He looked around the table. “We all know how unlikely that is.”

Balin sighed heavily. “For the sake of the realm, we must hope that Thranduil sees sense and selflessness and agrees to the marriage.”

~

Thorin received messages over the following weeks with updates about the deliberations and careful considerations of the elven council over whether or not a political marriage was most prudent. He waited each day in fear that a rejection would come and the peace so many had been sacrificed for would risk crumbling.

Late one night, not a month beyond Thranduil’s journey back to his halls, Thorin discovered that there was a greater fear in store for him.

He was deeply sleeping when there was a clatter upon his door and a guard rushed in. “My King!” he cried, rousing Thorin from his sleep.

“What is the meaning of this?” Thorin asked, startled and still regaining his bearings.

“Riders have arrived seeking aid from Mirkwood and Balin requested your presence,” he said, and immediately Thorin was confused but sprang from his bed and drew a cloak over his sleeping clothes, grabbing a torch offered to him to follow his guard to the visitors. 

When he arrived in one of the guest chambers, he was met with a sight that made his blood run cold. Oin was shouting orders to dwarves running around with bowls and vials while attending someone who had been placed in the bed while Kili knelt in his sleeping clothes, quickly wrapping an injury on the arm of the warrior maiden he was so taken with. She was bleeding heavily, leaning on Legolas. “What is going on here?!” he demanded and Legolas looked to him.

“My Lord, it is my father!” he cried, rushing to him. He seemed unharmed but for a scrape along his chin. “We were attacked-“

“All the other guards were killed,” Tauriel spoke, shaking from the pain of her wounds. She looked at him with wide eyes. “Legolas and I alone were able to save King Thranduil and make it here. We were chased from Dale to here.”

“By who?” he demanded, turning to the bed where he assumed Thranduil was being tended. He felt a spike of worry for the safety of the child within Thranduil and was startled at how much he already worried for it. 

“I- I am not sure,” Tauriel said, looking shaken by this news. “Lord Thranduil and a company of guards were visiting Dale to meet with Bard to discuss a trade agreement and to visit with him, only as we slept-“

“As we slept, my father woke the servants screaming in his sleep and thrashing,” Legolas took over, eyes wide with a manic fear. “He sprang from his bed and commanded we leave Dale at once. We ordered them to ready the horses to return home, but he said it was too far, that we must get to Erebor as quickly as we could.”

“Whatever he knew,” Tauriel spoke. “Whatever it was, he was right. We never laid eyes upon whoever was raining arrows upon us. Lord Thranduil was struck and it was only Legolas leaping from his horse to his fathers that kept him from falling or us from stopping and whoever was chasing us catching up. I was able to fire into the darkness towards the direction the arrows came from while my horse kept up with them to hold the attackers at bay. We are the only three who made it to the gates,” she gasped tearfully, looking horrified. 

“Hush,” Kili whispered, cupping her cheek. “You are safe here. Uncle will not let harm befall you or your kin within his walls.”

Thorin nodded, turning to Legolas. “You are safe within these walls. Whoever attacked you will be hunted down.” He turned to a guard. “Send a messenger to Dale at once. Bard must know what has befallen his friend on the road between us.”

“Thorin, he’s calling for you,” Oin called and Thorin made his way to the bed. He was shaken to see Thranduil’s sweat-soaked face and hair matted beneath him while Oin finished bandaging his shoulder, where he’d clearly been shot. His tunic was fitted tight across his middle, which was all the more obviously thick as he lay on his back. 

“Thorin- Thorin,” he panted, feverish eyes flying from face to face.

“I am here, Elfking,” he said, and Thranduil reached out, grabbing his arm with unbelievable strength for one so weak. 

He dragged Thorin in, eyes wild. “Do not let them harm her! Protect her-“

“Tauriel is fine,” he reassured, “Kili is taking great care-“

“Not Tauriel,” Thranduil breathed. He dragged Thorin’s hand towards his middle until Thorin’s palm rested only a few thin layers from Thranduil’s swollen belly. “Protect her.”

“The- the child?” Thorin asked, confused.

Thranduil nodded desperately. Thorin felt a flicker of something akin to excitement as he glanced at the mound beneath his hand. “Wait you- you think it’s a girl?” he asked, and Thranduil nodded.

“I had- I had the worst vision. Lady Galadriel visited me in my sleep. Thorin- Thorin I saw my child,” he choked out, tears glittering in his eyes as he smile manically. “She is the future, Thorin.”

Thorin looked to Oin, who was looking at Thranduil’s wound. “What is it?”

“He is lucky,” Oin said, looking up at Thorin. “Had the arrow gone further towards his chest, he may not have made it here.”

“Is my father alright?” Legolas asked, approaching them with a slight limp. He looked worriedly at Thranduil, who was shaking and sweating. “He is feverish?”

“No, I fear that is probably just the pain,” Oin said. “The arrow wound was unlike any I’ve treated before. It ripped the flesh rather than sliced it cleanly. He will need time to recover. He is lucky he is an elf. A man would probably never heal the use of his shoulder,” he said, wrapping the bandages tighter. 

Thorin was still pondering Thranduil’s words and turned to Legolas. “Are you fit to ride at first light?” he asked, and Legolas nodded. “You need to ride to your home and return with guards for your king. You can take a company of my guards with you in case you are attacked again. I know how distrustful he is of dwarves, so he will only feel safe with his own kin to guard him.”

Legolas nodded, looking at his father’s writhing in pain, though his eyes had slid shut. “He will need time to recover. I shall bring healers with me when I return.”

“Good,” Thorin said with a nod. “We know little about how you heal. He will need someone skilled in treating him.” He looked at Tauriel and then back to Legolas. “You should get her to a room so she can get some rest. Her injuries did not look bad but I’m sure she would benefit from rest.”

Legolas nodded. “Thank you, King Thorin for giving us aid,” he said, though he clearly did not want to be so courteous to a dwarf. He turned and went to Tauriel and helped her up. Kili called over a servant to go ahead of them and ready a room, putting his own arm around her waist to help her walk, much to the other elf’s clear annoyance.

“The boy clearly still fancies that elf maiden.” Thorin turned to Balin, who looked amused. He met Thorin’s eyes. “I thought he’d get over it.”

Thorin chuckled. “To his credit, she is unlike most elves I have ever encountered. She clearly sees past the prejudices of her kind.”

“Aye.” Balin smiled faintly as he and Thorin watched Kili leading her along.

~

By mid-day, Thorin’s halls were visited by Bard and his council from Dale. “Thorin,” he greeted, the both of them bowing to each other. “How is Thranduil?” Bard asked as he approached him and they fell into step.

“He is resting and should recover well,” Thorin said. “But the attack was unlike any I have seen,” he said, leading Bard to where riders had returned with the broken arrows and the bodies of the slain elven guard. There were ten elven men and women lain in state with their swords and bows on their chests in the great hall, awaiting their kin to return. “Elves see better in the night than any, and yet these archers were far enough away that the keen eyes of the elves mattered not. The elf Prince says they fled as if there were Wargs on their heels and still only the king, the prince, and one guard made it.” He held up one of the arrows and Bard’s eyes narrowed as he took in the thick, long arrow shaft, the hawk feather fletching, and the forged steel arrowheads that tore flesh like a wild animals teeth.

“I don’t know what this is. I have never heard of anything like this,” Bard said, and Thorin shook his head.

“Neither have I. I hope Thranduil will have something to tell us when he wakes. He only managed to find sleep a short while ago after his injuries caused him such pain.” He looked at the bodies lain with respect and shook his head. “There may be a long, hard past between the elves and dwarves, but I want to change the culture of hatred between us. I take no pleasure in good elves slain at my front door without cause,” he said gruffly.

Bard nodded. “Nor do I. There is no ill blood between Elves of the Woodland Realm and the Men of Dale, so I particularly am disturbed by this heinous act. I wish only I knew what drove Thranduil to wake his company in the night and flee for the gates of Erebor,” he said. “They were safe with us. Thranduil had no reason to fear me or my people.”

Thorin was unsure whether he should share his and Thranduil’s secret if he did not know, but he knew he had to say something. “Thranduil spoke of a vision. The Lady Galadriel visited him in his dreams and gave him a vision of the future. I don’t know the full details, he was mad from the pain at the time.”

Bard hesitated. “I almost fear that my friend might be… ill in some way,” he said carefully. “He refused to remove his cloak, as if he was chilled even near the fire. And he seemed distracted greatly. Although for all his odd behavior, he looks healthy. He seemed even more lively than elves always are with their strange glow upon their pale skin.”

Thorin bit back a smile, looking a way. “Last I saw him a month past, he seemed well, but he has been in deep discussion for weeks with his council on a particularly delicate matter, I am told. It could be the weight of that matter upon him.” 

~

Three days later, Thorin found himself in a bit of a mess when the first group of his people arrived from the east the same day that twenty of the Woodland Elves arrived. He was standing and watching a line of one hundred dwarves, including somewhere amongst them, his sister, Dis, when he spotted a group of elves riding from the road just behind the group of his kin. 

He quickly sent Nori and Gloin out to meet the elves and bring them to their king while Thorin went to his throne to welcome his kin. He stood at his throne waiting as the doors opened. Fili and Kili stood at either side of his throne until the first through the door was revealed to be Dis. Thorin laughed as a bright smile spread across Kili’s face and he broke into a run across the hall, rushing to his mother, Fili following him closely. “Mother!” he cried, throwing his arms around her as soon as she got to them. Thorin walked down after them, watching with a deep happiness as he watched his sister embracing her sons, clutching them to her with knuckles white and tears in her eyes.

When he got to them, she looked up and laughed, tears streaming her cheeks. “You kept your promise, I see, Brother,” she said and he leaned to kiss her forehead, a hand clapping each boy on their shoulders.

“Welcome home, Sister,” he said, emotion thick in his own voice. He looked at Fili and Kili’s bright faces and grinned. “I promised I would return them to you, did I not?” he said and Dis laughed happily, pulling her boys against her once more. 

“Thank you, Thorin. For our home, for my boys, for everything,” she choked out, making him fear he might tear up as well. “You did it, King under the Mountain.”

Thorin beamed, relishing the title he had yet to grow used to from his sister’s lips. He took her hand and turned, bringing her with him to the throne. He took her up the steps, Fili and Kili following and standing to each side, and then turned with her, raising her hand as he faced his people. “Welcome Lady Dis, daughter of Thrain, Princess of Erebor!” he cheered and a cry went up, making Dis laugh, looking to where her sons were both cheering with their people. “My people, I welcome you to our home! Others will come in the next few moons, but you are the first of our kin to settle our kingdom renewed. I welcome you all in hopes of prosperity for our future and the future of Erebor!” 

He smiled, watching his people cheering and hugging one another, only to be distracted when Fili called his name softly. He looked over and saw Tauriel had approached from behind the throne, keeping herself out of attention, to whisper to Fili. Thorin nodded for Fili to approach. Fili looked grave. “Prince Legolas has returned with news about their attackers. He says he knows you are very much occupied, but requests you find a few moments to come to him and King Thranduil. It is very urgent.”

Thorin’s brow furrowed. “Is Thranduil up for it? Last I heard, he has not managed to leave his bed.”

Fili shrugged. “I do not know.”

Thorin looked around to see Dis looking down at them – especially Tauriel – in confusion. He nodded to Fili. “I will be there soon.” He walked back up the throne and smiled at his people, stepping up beside Dis.

“Thorin, what is the meaning of all these elves?” she asked through her smile.

Thorin gave her a look. “It is… a long story,” he murmured. He turned to the people gathered. “My friends, tonight we shall feast in your honor.” A cheer went up. “But there is something else you must know,” he said more seriously, and slowly the faces of his people showed a growing dread. “The peace we have is only as strong as we have it now because we have made allies with the Men of Dale and the Elves of Mirkwood.” He shook his head. “And just days ago, a company of our Woodland allies were attacked in the night as they tried to make it here from Dale. A party of twenty-one elven warriors plus their King and Prince set out from Dale.” He glanced to Dis. “Only the King, Prince, and one warrior made it to our gates,” he said gravely, startling whispers and murmurs among the crowd. “I know our history with the Elves is not a friendly one, but the allegiance we hold with them makes us stronger, makes us safer, and is for the good of all three kingdoms.” He shook his head. “I do not know who attacked the company of elves, but at this moment King Thranduil is recovering here within our halls. You may have seen the party of elves riding in behind you.” He looked around, gesturing to the guards at the main doors to the hall. “You all may go settle and rest from your journey and prepare for tonight’s feast, for at this moment, I cannot celebrate with you. I must go receive news about the unknown threat that has come to _our_ front door and attacked _our_ allies.”

“Allegiance with the _Elvenking_?” Dis asked in distaste, and Thorin cringed.

He leaned in to her ear. “There is far more than you know, but that is not yet for public audiences,” he breathed, then straightened up. “Forgive me cutting our celebrations short, but know that tonight we feast and I say that feast need not end until the last of us can no longer hold our drink!” he called, raising a loud cheer from the crowd. He gestured to the guards to start leading people to find rest and peace after a very, very long journey. As the people began to leave, he turned to Fili and Kili. “With me,” he said, and Dis followed as well. He raised an eyebrow and she raised one right back at him stubbornly.

He simply chuckled, shaking his head. “Prepare yourself for a shock then, Sister,” he warned, making Kili snort and Fili slap a hand over his mouth to hush him. 

~

Thorin entered Thranduil’s chambers and was pleased to see him sitting at a table with Legolas and Tauriel standing near him. At the sound of the doors opening, he turned and managed to slowly get to his feet, in spite of Thorin gesturing for him to stay seated. “Lord Thorin, we have discovered who attacked me and my kin,” he said without preamble. He reached behind him to the table and picked up a helmet, holding it out.

Thorin eyed it in shock. “Easterlings?! Here?”

“It would appear the vision Lady Galadriel sent to me was true.” He tilted his head. “There was a lost prophecy of the Dark Elves of the east about an alliance between Woodland Elves, Men of Dale, and Dwarves of Durin’s line being the downfall of their raids upon villages to the north.” He shook his head. “We still have the occasional orc parties in my forest that we kill nearly every other month. But apparently, Orcs from the South discovered my state and the word made it back to someone somehow to alert the Easterlings that their prophecy had come to pass.”

“And they were bold enough to try to _murder_ you in Dale and then on your way here to stop it?” Thorin asked incredulously. “They are fierce warriors, but there is a strong alliance between our kingdoms, and I still have the favor of the Dwarves of the Iron Hills, who could come from the east and trap any army they bring between our four kingdoms. Are they that desperate to continue raiding to the north?” 

Thranduil shook his head. “I do not know, but frankly, I do not care about their motives.” He walked gingerly towards Thorin, who closed the space to stop him from overtaxing himself by crossing the room. “Thorin, I was not wrong. I _saw_ her,” he said, hand going to his middle. He shook his head, eyes full of fear. “I will not let them stop this child from being born. She is the future for both our races. A lasting link between our kingdoms will prevail long after even I have passed into memory.”

Thorin nodded, swallowing. “You will be safe, Thranduil. She will be safe.” He shook his head. “I will not let harm befall her.”

Thranduil looked at Tauriel and Legolas. “I- I believe I should stay here,” he said, and Legolas startled.

“Father-“

“I might be safer in my own lands, Legolas, but that is a long journey to try to make with such skilled archers after us.” He shook his head. “They killed _twenty_ of my guards, and still nearly killed me.” He squared his shoulders. “Prince Legolas, you will rule our kingdom in my stead.”

“But father-“

“No.” Thranduil shook his head. “You are too young, I know, but I cannot be there.” He looked at Tauriel. “Tauriel, Captain of the Royal Guard, you will now be my personal guard. I trust you to stay here with me for the remainder of my stay with a small guard of your choosing. No more than six.”

She bowed her head. “Yes, My Lord.”

Thorin spoke up when Thranduil turned back to him. “Keep your healers, should you require them later on. I do not wish to conduct too much travel between here and your realm until we can find and stop the attackers. I do not relish the sight of dead elves any more than you, Thranduil,” he said with a sincerity that had Thranduil nod.

“I believe you.” He looked to the servant waiting near his bed. “Get me some clothes and a cloak. I wish to see to the burial of my warriors.”

Thorin tutted. “Thranduil, you should not be moving about so much, you were gravely injured just days ago-“

“King Thorin, you may be the Lord of these halls, but I have been King for dozens of your lifetime,” he said firmly. “Many of those elves lying in your hall I knew far longer than you have been alive.” He inclined his head. “I trust that your men can help mine build the burial mounds in the field beyond your gates in time that I shall be back inside before nightfall.”

Thorin sighed but he did understand. Thranduil was not a cold ruler. He loved his people as deeply as Thorin loved his. To see so many slain in one attack so unexpected had to shake him deeply. “I will see to it.” He gave him a stern look. “But after, I expect you to _rest_. You are still recovering. I have a weeks worth of feasting and celebration to see to, for the first of my kin has arrived, but I will see to it that you are moved to a more comfortable chambers more befitting your status.”

Thranduil looked away for a moment, glancing to Kili, Fili, and Dis. “There is another matter I wish to inform you of my decision on, but I do not know if you want me to do so in present company.” He looked back. “Only Legolas knows what I have been discussing with my council.”

Thorin held his hands out. “Fili and Kili are part of my council, they are aware of the question we have been faced with. This is Dis, my sister, mother of Fili and Kili. She is Princess of Erebor and will soon know all that I do.” He tilted his head. “Assuming that your answer does not dethrone me,” he reminded him.

Thranduil chuckled and rolled his eyes, very unbefitting of the seriousness of the situation. “Yes, Thorin, I have decided that we shall marry, and soon. Do not fear for your throne.” He gave him a look. “I have spoken at length of my desire to do what is best for my child, and for her to be the future, she must be a legitimate offspring of the line of Durin.”

“Marry?!” Thorin winced at Dis’s exclamation. 

Thranduil gave Thorin a pointed look and he turned to force a smile for his sister. “It is a long story, Sister, but King Thranduil, as you can see, is with child… my child,” he said and she glared at him. “And we’re going to marry and cement the treaty between our kingdoms.”

“You will explain yourself later,” she said threateningly, and then fixed a forced smile on her face, always the level headed one of them. “Lord Thranduil, I offer my congratulations.” He bowed his head gratefully. “Hopefully a union between our kingdoms will mean a lasting peace after all these years.”

“I hope for the same, Lady Dis,” Thranduil said smoothly. He looked to Thorin. “I must go oversee the burials of my men.” 

“Of course,” Thorin said with a bow. “I will have guards waiting at the gates for your protection.” He nodded to Legolas and Tauriel and then turned to leave with his family.

~

No sooner had Thorin made it to the council halls to call his council to meet them on the matter of his marriage to Thranduil than Dis smacked him in the back of the head, startling snickers out of her sons. “Ow!” he cried, ducking and she followed and smacked him again.

“How on earth, in the middle of a journey to reclaim our homeland, did you find occasion to _fuck the bastard that left us all to die_?!” she demanded and Thorin scoffed.

“Watch your language-“

“Watch who you fuck, then!” she cried and he glared as Fili and Kili laughed at him.

“It is working out for the best,” Thorin argued. “You heard him! There is prophecy that our child will be the lasting link of peace between races who have hated each other for millennia! Our marriage will spell peace and prosperity for three kingdoms-“

“Yes, and it’s all a measure to save your arse after you somehow felt it necessary to lay with an elf – THAT elf – while you were meant to be protecting my children,” she accused.

“In his defense, we were prisoners of Thranduil, so we were quite safe, Mother,” Kili spoke up. “Uncle Thorin was the only one not in a dungeon.”

He grumbled, going to take his seat. “It was a lapse of judgement in a heated moment of anger-“

“Horse shit,” she accused, settling beside him with a thump. “You were running around after him as a boy, I remember how you looked at him when you and I snuck down to the hall to watch the elves arrive,” she accused.

Thorin grumbled. “There was a time I admit, I loved him,” he said and her eyebrows flew up. He sighed. “We were having an affair. For nearly two years before the fall of Erebor. I was far too young but I thought we were in love. We spoke of convincing Grandfather to allow him my hand in marriage as a link of peace between our kingdoms. I did not hate the elves then. I did not believe that they were liars and cheats.” He gave her a bitter smile. “Until the elf I thought was in love with me turned his back on us when Smaug came and I realized he never intended to keep his promises he made to me. My heart hardened and I discovered that I had been blinded to the treachery of the elves.”

“And now you’ve gone and got yourself stuck marrying one,” she said, and he shrugged.

“It is a new time for us all. Old grudges and past grievances must be put aside. He came to the aid of Dale with intentions of forcing me to pay the debts Thror did not, but he ended up saving my life and that of your sons. It was only through the aid of the elves we reclaimed Erebor and there is nothing to gain from remaining distrustful.” He ran a hand over his face. “I don’t like him. But it is true that I want to keep the peace for not just our people, but for his people and for Bard’s people in Dale. There is so much to gain from peace and allegiance and a future of better relations.”

She snorted distastefully. “Clearly some _relations_ took place-“

“Yes, well, I hated him plenty, but his pretty face is hard to dislike,” he snapped, blushing when she gave him a glare. “Shut it,” he muttered.

Fili cleared his throat. “I think this is a good thing, Mother,” he said and she looked at him curiously. “Peace and prosperity for all is worth far more than holding old grudges. And if he does not marry before the child is born, the shame could lose him the support of our people. I am not ready to ascend the throne and they would not support me, so it would be easy for Dain to come and take it from Uncle Thorin.” He shook his head. “He would sever all peaceful treaties with the elves and set all three kingdoms back. This is a way to preserve peace and, if the Easterlings are as bold as to attack Thranduil to try and kill him before his child fulfils a prophecy, there is no doubt that they would attack us or Dale if there was no aid to come from Mirkwood.”

Kili nodded. “I like the elves,” he said honestly. “The elves of Rivendell were kind to us and even Thranduil’s people treated us well when we were prisoners. They are brave warriors and Thranduil is a strong king to his people. Legolas is a bit of a-“

“Think carefully, brother, for he will be your step-cousin soon,” Fili joked and Kili made a face.

Thorin cleared his throat, looking at Kili. “Is there anything you would like to tell your mother before the council arrives and Balin tells her for you?” he suggested and Kili gave him a panicked look. He chuckled. “Come now, I am the shame of this family for now, if ever there was a time to soften the blow this is it.”

Fili nudged his brother and nodded and Kili looked down at his hands. “Um, I- I have been planning to… to seek a courtship. With a girl- woman,” he stuttered.

Dis looked surprised. “But you’re so young! You’re at least twenty years from marrying age.”

“I don’t want to wait that long,” he admitted in a small voice. He looked up bashfully. “I- I have spoken to her, Uncle. She- she agreed to the courtship. As long as I have your blessing and she can get blessing from King Thranduil.” 

Dis’s eyes narrowed. “Why would the girl you wish to court need blessing from the Elfking?”

Kili smiled, eyes bright with clear affection. “Because she a captain in his guard. Tauriel, the warrior maiden who was with him when we were there just now.”

“An elf?!” Dis cried. “Kili!”

“I love her!” he defended, nearly coming out of his chair. “I- I know what you think, Mother, you think I’m a foolish child, but she is- she is wonderful,” he said, smile softening. “She is brave, and kind, and she saved my life more than once. She is a fierce warrior and a good woman.”

“She is an elf,” Dis said. “Even if I did approve of her as a person, the fact remains, she is not of our kind. You are a Prince of Erebor, Kili. If you marry, it should be to a dwarf.”

Fili shook his head. “But why, Mother? If there is to be a half-elven princess within a half-year, and the King of Erebor is marrying the King of Mirkwood, why can a Prince of Erebor not marry a captain of King Thranduil’s guard?”

“There will be no dwarves born beyond you two in the line of Durin this way!” she argued. “Fili, you have only ever spoken of focusing on your place as Thorin’s heir, so it is unlikely you will marry. Hell, I never expected Thorin to marry, and I doubt he would have if this had not come up,” she said, giving him a glare. “If both the marrying dwarves in the line of Durin marry elves, the future of our blood is in heirs who are half-blood Elves. Dwarves must be ruled by dwarves, Thorin.”

Thorin shook his head. “If that is not what the future holds, that is not the future. You know as I do that when a dwarf finds their One, that is the only person they will ever want to marry. If Tauriel is the women he wants to marry, refusing to allow it will not make him marry a dwarf, and you know it. No dwarf has ever fallen for two people in a lifetime. He will either marry Tauriel or not marry, and trying to stop from mixing the blood of elves and dwarves is not reason enough to cause Kili to suffer being alone when he does not want to be.” He nodded. “Tauriel is a different kind of elf than I have ever known. You should meet her and see for yourself how she is. She is also very young by elven standards, so she is defiant against the prejudices elves have against us. She sees our kind for what we have shown her, not what she is told.” He looked to Kili and smiled. “If Thranduil gives his blessing, I approve your courtship, Kili.”

Kili brightened. “Even though I am too young?” he asked, and Thorin chuckled.

“I was barely older when I thought I had found the person I wanted to marry, so I cannot judge you for your age.” He smiled sadly. “However, you should not suffer the fate I did, for Tauriel is a good woman, as far as I can tell. She will not betray you or our people the way Thranduil did over a century ago.”

Dis cursed, standing from her seat. “I cannot believe you would go against me in a matter about my own son-“

“Dis, I am certain you will change your mind in time,” Thorin said confidently. “And you are his mother, and my sister, and we both love you as such, but I am his King,” he said with finality.

Dis made a disgusted sound and stalked out. “Call for me when the council gathers,” were the only words she left in parting.

~

After discussing with the council what had been discovered regarding the Easterlings and breaking the news that he and Thranduil would indeed soon marry, the feast for the first arrivals to the halls of Erebor took up much of the following nights and days of endless celebration. At the end of the week of celebrations, the last night of feasting, Thorin felt it was the best time of any to bring Thranduil and his kin into the celebrations before they took their leave so that they could announce their upcoming marriage.

Thranduil was mostly better, so he was only concerned with keeping his belly hidden for the feast. They did not want news of the child to get out before they were married. When Thorin came to his table to be seated with a chair next to him that was not the one Dis nor Fili sat in, there were a few looks of confusion until the doors opened behind the head table and Thranduil came up and was seated beside Thorin. Legolas was seated at the head table as well, beside Fili. Tauriel had been invited to dine with them for the feast, but much to Thorin’s surprise, she refused, choosing to stand behind her king near the wall so that she could guard him should danger arise. 

He was very impressed by her devotion to her position as the personal guard of her king.

After the feast was underway, Thorin stood and there was a lowering of the chatter as he raised his goblet. “I would like to use our last evening of glorious celebrations to announce something that will change our realm forever,” he began. “As you all know, our peace and allegiance with the Woodland Realm is of utmost importance to the prosperity I want our kingdom to enjoy, as well as for the prosperity for the Men of Dale and the Elves of Mirkwood. We all have taken this great opportunity to forge new customs between our people and to try and repair the damages of generations of cultural distrust between dwarves and elves.” He looked at Thranduil, who gave him an amused quirk of his lips as he sipped his water. “And in order to help cultivate a lasting peace, Lord Thranduil, King of the Woodland Realm and I have decided to enter into a partnership that will cement the future relations between dwarves and elves for good.” He held out his hand and Thranduil slid his hand into Thorin’s, allowing Thorin to show their clasped hands without him standing and revealing just how carefully his cloak laid across his front. “In just a few weeks’ time, Lord Thranduil and I will marry, forever linking the line of Durin’s and the Elves of Mirkwood once and for all.”

There was a mixture of silence and then shocked gasps, not just from the dwarves but from the small company of elves who were in attendance as well, but Thorin’s friends and those who knew all along raised enough of a cheer that the others all fell in line as well. As Thorin returned to his seat, Thranduil leaned over just enough to not be overheard. “That went better than expected,” he murmured and Thorin gave him a small grin.

“Honestly, it went better than I could’ve hoped, really,” he said and Thranduil gave him an incredulous look. “What? They really don’t like you,” he said with a teasing smile and Thranduil offered a small chuckle.

“Honestly, my kind dislike you as well, so we are at least even in that respect,” he said, and Thorin squeezed his hand once before releasing it.

“Now we can only hope they react to the child with as easy of an acceptance,” Thorin murmured and Thranduil grimaced visibly at the thought himself.

~

Thorin knocked carefully at the doors to Thranduil’s more permanent chambers. When he was allowed entry, he stepped into the sitting room and smiled when he saw Thranduil was out on the balcony, one of few in the mountain, looking upon the road to Erebor. He knew that Thranduil would likely be staying for the remainder of his pregnancy and, though his halls were cave-like as well, he knew elves craved fresh air much more than dwarves, and he wanted the person carrying his child to be comfortable. 

“Oh, Thorin, I was not expecting you,” Thranduil said, looking into the room from the balcony. “Come join me,” he invited and Thorin stepped out onto the balcony, walking to stand beside Thranduil.

“I am sorry to come unannounced, but I just got away from matters of council,” he explained. 

“It is of no worry,” Thranduil said simply. “What did you need, My Lord?”

Thorin looked out at the view as he spoke, enjoying the plains between Erebor and Dale. “I need to announce a date for us to be married, and I need to know what preparations need to take place. I assume a large number of elves from your court will attend, I need to know what customs need to be seen to, that sort of thing.”

Thranduil chuckled in amusement, looking at him. “Actually, we could be married right here and now if you wished. I assume you dwarves have a custom, but for elves, as we are disobeying the betrothal period, and seeing as the child growing inside of me is proof enough we have, indeed, achieved consummation, all that is left for elven marriage is to say an elven prayer and promise each other that we agree to be married and understand that is a final state – though I am breaking that tradition as it is – and then we are married.”

Thorin blinked. “Really?” he asked curiously.

Thranduil nodded. “Elven marriages are very private. A full ‘ceremony’ would be to exchange betrothal rings, wear them for a year and be betrothed in case one of us wanted to back out, then our houses would come together for a private feast where we give back the betrothal rings and exchange golden rings of marriage, then say the elven prayers, make our promises, and afterwards, consummate the marriage.” He looked to him. “Dwarves like celebrations, though. I assume it will be a large affair for us?”

“It will have to be to be accepted,” he said apologetically. “The good news is that your elven prayers and promises and rings can all fit into a royal wedding for dwarves. We shall shorten the traditional wedding since it is irrelevant to two kings, both of whom have no parents living, and there will most likely just be the traditional seven dwarven blessings, the ornate robes and jewels in our hair, the exchanging of golden rings, and then there are seven days of feasts and celebrations, much like what went on for the arrival of my kin just recently, after which consummation is expected, but not actually part of the marriage itself, since it is not uncommon for dwarves to have already been together before they marry,” he explained.

“Well, that’s at least one of our ancestors we haven’t offended,” Thranduil joked and Thorin couldn’t help but chuckle in amusement.

“Oh that ship sailed many decades ago, did it not?” he countered and Thranduil shrugged.

“I have never had the most respect for tradition, truth be told,” he admitted. He smiled sadly, looking into the distance at the sun beyond the mountaintops. “I was married for such a short time to my wife, in the lives of elves. Elves do not take lovers outside of marriage, it is unheard of, but that intriguing young dwarfling that followed my every word for so many years grew into a handsome dwarf prince and the temptation was too great to bother caring that it is unheard of to take a lover,” he said and Thorin nodded, leaning against the stone as he looked ahead.

“Dwarves are jealous and singular lovers. I was but a child when I became infatuated with the Elfking who looked like the moon personified. I never had a chance at falling in love because for a dwarf, you form one obsession, one love, and that is it.” He shook his head. “After our bitter parting, I never cared for the idea of marriage. It is nothing for dwarves to never seek marriage or a lover. It is nothing to not care for it, so it was never questioned.” He gestured absently. “Fili, for example, has no interest in a partner. He cares not for matters of the heart, only for matters of state. He is a devoted heir and cares not about anything but his duty.”

Thranduil glanced at him. “Your other nephew is not so,” he said and Thorin chuckled, shaking his head.

“No, no he is not.”

Thranduil stretched, rubbing at his back. “Tauriel thinks I do not know she intends to ask my permission to enter betrothal with the young prince. She clearly thinks I am still recovering and it would tax me.”

Thorin chuckled. “You will give permission, won’t you?” he asked, and Thranduil gave him a look of mild surprise. 

“You wish me to give my permission? I figured you would want him nowhere near a simple elf like her.”

“Nonsense,” Thorin said simply. “As I just told you, Dwarves love one person ever. If he does not marry her, he will never marry, and there is no reason to refuse him happiness when I have fathered a half-elven child, now is there?” He smiled. “I like her. She’s a brave warrior.”

Thranduil scoffed. “You would like her. She is brash and defiant. She follows her heart more than logic. Just like a dwarf to like a foolhardy girl who seeks fights that do not concern her.”

“You are just unhappy she defied your orders and went to rescue Kili,” Thorin teased. “He may be young, but she is a good woman. I can see them fighting side by side in service of their kings quite easily.”

Thranduil sighed. “Well, I guess if you are going to give your consent for him to become betrothed, there is no reason for me to deny it. I cannot imagine your people will enjoy knowing the two of the royal family who may produce offspring both are marrying elves.”

“Oh Dis is very upset with me,” he agreed, nodding in exaggeration. “She’s not happy at all about me allowing her son to court an elf.” He shook his head. “I do not worry, though. If nothing else, perhaps mingling blood with elves will prevent the likelihood of a future heir falling victim to the same sickness of the mind and spirit that took my grandfather, my father, and nearly took me,” he said softly.

“You are stronger than your grandfather ever was, Thorin,” Thranduil said softly, more serious in tone. “I saw it when you were young. You were always more understanding to the problems I had with Thror than any others. You always saw people over treasure.” He looked down and met his eyes, shaking his head softly. “I am not surprised you bested the sickness of the mind when you were most needed.”

Thorin held his gaze and nodded. “I am glad that I did so as well, because I was not myself. The man I pride myself in being, the true leader of my people, is not one who values gold and treasures over my people or those innocent outside my own kin.”

Thranduil nodded as he looked ahead. “I think this marriage is a good thing. I have long been too isolated and selfish about my kingdom. It is not just dwarves who have an unfair hatred for elves, and I know that. I want this divide to diminish so that our realms can prosper together rather than suffer apart, Thorin. Our daughter will bring about an age of peace and prosperity unlike any before. No longer will fear and isolation be the main goal of either of our kingdoms, but cooperation and commerce.”

“Hopefully, our daughter will gain the best traits of us both,” Thorin said, watching as a smile graced Thranduil’s lips as he unconsciously put a hand to his middle.

“Perhaps so.”

~

Thorin carefully crafted the golden ring that he would give Thranduil when they married by his own hand. He carefully shaped his seal into the metal, knowing that it was not necessary to do it on his own, but wanting it to be right. 

This marriage was not ideal, but he was committed and he wanted it to be as significant as possible. His daughter’s legitimacy relied upon the marriage and, though he knew Thranduil would not turn him down for faulty jewels, he wanted his crafting to be perfect. 

One day, his daughter would look at the ring upon Thraduil’s hand, after all.

~

Thranduil held up a mirror, watching what Thorin was doing. “Is it absolutely necessary you do this?” he asked for the thousandth time it seemed. 

Thorin chuckled. “You are the only elf I know of who does not braid his hair regularly,” he said as he deftly clamped a golden clasp onto Thranduil’s braid. He swept Thranduil’s golden hair to the side, so that he could see his braid. “Another on the other side and you will be ready,” he said and Thranduil hummed, looking at the way the braid exposed his long neck.

“I look like Legolas,” he decided and Thorin huffed in amusement.

“Well he is the spitting image of you, just a bit shorter,” Thorin said, brushing silky, golden hair into his fingers. “You should keep these braids in until the feasts have finished. It would not look good to my people should their king’s new husband shed a signifier of their race.”

“I like it,” Thranduil muttered disinterestedly. “It suits my bone structure well.”

Thorin smiled. “Well, as stubborn and snobbish as you can be, there is no doubting your beauty.” Thranduil gave him a pleased smile in the mirror. “If only your personality were as beautiful as your face.” Thranduil gave him a glare, which made Thorin smirk.

“Such a shame you have neither beauty nor likeable personality,” Thranduil said loftily, making Thorin ‘accidently’ snag his hair, pulling it some. “Ow! Watch it, Dwarf!” Thranduil snapped and Thorin smirked as he continued braiding.

“Careful, Elf, your daughter could very well have my looks.” 

Thranduil sighed dramatically. “I pray daily she is not ugly like her father,” he said and Thorin chuckled at the teasing look in Thranduil’s eyes.

He finished Thranduil’s braid and stepped back, allowing Thranduil to admire his hair. “There you are. I shall leave you to get dressed now.” Thorin gestured for Thranduil’s servants to come. “Do not take too long, for the ceremony must start soon.”

Thranduil stood, nodding. “Let us just hope these robes will disguise my waist,” he said, looking down at his ever-rounding middle. 

“I will leave you to worry about that,” Thorin said, turning to leave with a final bow. 

~

The feasts and celebrations after their wedding were clearly taxing on Thranduil. Thorin watched as he delicately picked at his food and sipped at his drink, all the while looking exhausted. They had been going for so long that Thorin himself was even quite tired. Though elves were hardy people, carrying a child was clearly taxing to him. He leaned over. “You should actually eat some of that food you are pushing around on your plate, Thranduil,” he advised. “You need your strength.”

Thranduil gave him a forced smile. “Elves who are with child cannot eat meat. And I fear I’ve grown tired of eating tomatoes and potatoes over and over since I have been here.”

“You cannot eat meat?” Thorin asked in surprise. “I know your son hunts, does he not? I assumed you ate meat before you came here.”

He shook his head. “The others do. But it does not agree with elves who are with child. Neither does wine, I’m afraid,” he said, nodding to the water in his goblet. 

“Ah that explains it,” Thorin teased. “You’re horrible mood is you going without your beloved wine.”

Thranduil chuckled, shaking his head. “You are such a horrible person.”

“Yes, I know, you’re just so fun to tease,” Thorin agreed, making Thranduil duck his head and laugh softly. “If you need to go rest, don’t bother with tradition.”

Thranduil hummed, settling in his seat. “I shall attempt to keep from dozing off in my seat,” he said and Thorin looked to Tauriel, who was dancing with Fili while Kili danced with Dis, even though his eyes kept straying to Tauriel. Tauriel happened to glace to Thorin, and stopped dancing, noticing his gaze. She bowed to Fili and made her way to the head table.

“My Lord?” she asked, and he gestured to Thranduil.

“I am sorry to interrupt your dancing, but you should probably stay near Thranduil,” he said and Thranduil glared, but he ignored him.

She frowned and looked at her king. “Are you well, My Lord?” she asked, and he smiled tightly.

“I am just tired.” He rolled his eyes. “My husband simply worries that we elves are too weak,” he said and Tauriel ducked her head to hide her smile.

Thorin huffed. “Excuse me for worrying about the person carrying my child,” he said and Thranduil smirked.

“We elves are not so easily harmed. Stop worrying,” he said, nudging Thorin’s arm. “Let Tauriel continue enjoying the celebrations. I am well without her constantly shadowing my every move.”

Tauriel gave him a look, clearly looking for signs of needing her. “Are you sure, King Thranduil? I could stay-“

“I insist,” Thranduil said, smirking some. “I believe your betrothed is waiting for the next dance.”

Thorin’s eyes widened. “M-my…” A smile of realization crossed her face and she positively beamed. “You give your permission?” she asked and Thranduil bowed his head.

“Thorin tells me he has given Kili permission for courtship, and I explained that for elves, that means betrothal, and he assures me he still approves, and seeing as we are now married, I cannot argue anything against you and Kili,” he said and she nearly bounced with her excitement.

“Thank you, King Thranduil,” she said, bowing deeply. “King Thorin,” she repeated to him.

Thranduil gestured to Kili. “Go enjoy the festivities,” he said and she nearly ran as she made her way between dancers, only to grab Kili’s arm and lean in to whisper something to him. Thorin watched as Kili’s eyes widened and he looked to Thranduil with a bright smile. Thranduil bowed his head, looking amused, and Kili looked up at Tauriel, who wasted no time hugging him.

“Oh the way our forefathers would turn in their graves over the blatant disregard to history we have committed,” Thranduil muttered and Thorin nearly choking on his wine as he was overcome with laughter. 

~

After the celebrations were over, Thorin accompanied Thranduil back to his chambers. When they arrived, it was only after the guards subtly left them that they both realized what everyone expected. Thranduil raised an eyebrow and Thorin chuckled in amusement.

“Clearly your guards haven’t caught on to your state,” Thorin joked as Thranduil undid his heavy robes, pulling them off to reveal his tunic and leggings as well as his thick middle. 

“Should we?” Thranduil asked, looking at Thorin curiously.

Thorin raised an eyebrow. “Really? I thought you said all we lacked were a few elven prayers and the ceremony for my kin?”

“Yes, but traditionally I would not be with child when we married already,” Thranduil said, walking through the open doors to the inner chamber where his bed was. Thorin followed, stopping to watch as Thranduil sat on the bed and removed his boots. 

“I guess it is nothing we’ve never done before,” Thorin said, leaning against the door casing.

Thranduil straightened up, tilting his head, eyes twinkling with amusement. “Well then?” He leaned back on his hands. “I’m waiting,” he said and Thorin huffed as he pushed off the doorway.

“Oh mustn’t make King Thranduil wait,” Thorin joked as he approached, undoing the heavy clasp on his furs. He allowed them to drop to the floor, not bothering to move them. He stepped closer and Thranduil reached out, twirling one of Thorin’s braids around his fingers as Thorin worked on the many straps and buckles of his clothes. “How on earth you wear so much astounds me. I’d feel like I could barely move for all the layers.”

“It is often cool underground,” Thorin said simply. He knelt do begin undoing his boots and Thranduil made an interested sound.

“I could grow used to Thorin, King under the Mountain, kneeling before me,” he said and Thorin gave him a stern look.

“Watch yourself,” he warned, but Thranduil just grinned, subtly shifting his legs further apart.

“Perhaps I simply mean your closeness to certain parts of my anatomy,” he teased. When Thorin stood, he stepped between Thranduil’s legs, placing his hands on his thighs. Thranduil’s eyes dilated some as he stared at Thorin. 

“You always have reacted so prettily to me touching you,” Thorin said and Thranduil licked his lips before speaking, subtly leaning closer to Thorin.

“I don’t have to like you to know how your touch feels,” he said softly.

Thorin smirked. “I do believe that is how we ended up in this predicament,” he murmured, sliding his fingers to loosen the strings of Thranduil’s tunic. Thranduil reached under Thorin’s and pulled it up. Thorin stepped back far enough for Thranduil to pull off the offending article. Thranduil placed a hand on his chest, mouth slack as he ran his fingers through the hair on Thorin’s chest. Thorin chuckled. “You always have enjoyed the body of a dwarf far too much for an elf,” he teased and Thranduil hummed.

“I have had an elf’s body for thousands of years, yours is far more intriguing,” he jested, making Thorin laugh. He tugged Thorin in by the waist of his trousers, until they were flush. 

Thorin reached up and cupped Thranduil’s jaw, leaning in to kiss him. Thranduil hummed against his lips, knees tightening against his hips. Thorin broke the kiss with a laugh, however, making Thranduil open his eyes and glare. “I’m sorry,” Thorin said, chuckling. “It’s just I hadn’t thought about how it would feel to have your belly be what stopped me from getting as close as I once could.”

Thranduil rolled his eyes. “Yes, well, you are the one who put that there. Get over it,” he advised, leaning in to kiss Thorin again before pulling back and pulling his tunic off. Thorin reached for Thranduil’s leggings and Thranduil shoved them down, sliding back up onto the bed when he was bare. Thorin followed, climbing up on to the bed as soon as he had stripped himself bare. He crawled up Thranduil’s body, dropping kisses as he went. Thranduil sighed, pressing his head back into the pillows when Thorin reached his neck. He reached above him, gripping at the pillows when Thorin pressed his hardness against Thranduil’s hip. “Clearly you enjoy the body of an elf far more than any dwarf should, as well.”

Throin chuckled, sitting back as he slid his hands to part Thranduil’s thighs. “I was young and curious and grew accustomed to admiring you. Your exotic beauty is hard to resist.” 

Thranduil hummed as he let his eyes fall shut. “Yes, I am quite beautiful, aren’t I?” he asked, and Thorin rolled his eyes as he moved to prepare him. Thranduil arched, biting his lip while Thorin opened him with oil, all the while touching and kissing his pale, soft skin. When Thorin entered his body, Thranduil positively mewled with pleasure. “Mmmm dwarves definitely are thick in all the right places,” he purred, making Thorin look at him suspiciously, pausing. Thranduil opened his eyes, and Thorin narrowed his gaze.

“And exactly how can you be sure that is a dwarven trait?” he asked, making Thranduil roll his eyes.

“Oh, stop that, do you think I make a habit of this?” Thranduil said, then rocked his hips. “Thorin, really now-“

“Fine, fine,” Thorin grumbled, moving to thrust into Thranduil again, starting up a rhythm once more. Thranduil moaned happily. 

“There you go,” he said, and Thorin chuckled, shaking his head as he shifted, making Thranduil moan. “ _Oh_ ,” he breathed. Thorin groaned as he thrust into the velvety heat of Thranduil’s body, pleasure arcing up his spine. Thranduil grasped at his shoulder with one hand, the other bracing against the headboard above them. He shuddered when Thorin put his mouth to Thranduil’s skin, tongue flicking against his chest. 

It did not take long for the pace of their coupling to speed and for their breaths to come in gasps and pants as sweat slicked their skin. Thorin had no idea what Thranduil was saying anymore, for he had lapsed into Sindaran babbling. Thorin assumed, however, that it was good babbling, going by the sounds he made and the way he clung to Thorin. The way Thranduil shuddered in his arms spurred Thorin to reach between them and take him into his hand, stroking him as he fucked into him. “Look at me,” Thorin commanded and Thranduil’s eyes opened, so blue they were nearly glowing against the flush of his face. “So beautiful,” he groaned, so taken by Thranduil’s face.

Thranduil whimpered, biting at his bottom lip. “Tho-Thorin,” he panted, long, slender leg tightening around Thorin’s middle. “Please, don’t stop,” he pleaded, tossing his head. “Oh, oh, don’t stop, don’t stop,” he panted, his chest heaving and his back arching. “ _Thorin_!” he cried, and Thorin moaned as he watched Thranduil spill in his hand, beautiful lips hanging open in a silent scream of pleasure. 

It only took moments for Thorin to follow him.

After a few moments to catch their breath, it was Thranduil who chuckled and rolled onto his side to face Thorin, bracing on his elbow, cheek in his hand. “Well.” He reached out with his other hand, casually playing with the hair on Thorin’s chest. “We’re still quite skilled at that, it seems,” he joked and Thorin laughed, turning his head to look at him.

“Yes, Elfking, if nothing else, we are good bed partners,” he agreed, and Thranduil smirked.

“And you clearly still think me beautiful,” he purred, making Thorin snort.

He reached up and caught Thranduil’s hand, holding it so he would stop drawing shapes on his skin. “You are beautiful, but do not let it go to your head,” he said, making Thranduil grin.

“I know I’m beautiful, this is not news,” he joked. He hummed, moving to get comfortable. He slung one leg across Thorin’s legs, turning so that his belly pressed into Thorin’s hip. He glanced down and hummed. “Must say, that’s a bit different than when we used to do this,” he said and Thorin chuckled, lifting his arm so that Thranduil could lay his head in the crook of his neck and shoulder. 

Thorin looked down at Thranduil’s belly and hesitated. “Can I?” he asked, and Thranduil hummed his assent, grabbing Thorin’s hand to lead to lay against his middle. Thorin carefully curved his palm against Thranduil’s belly, thumb stroking against his skin. “It is so strange.”

Thranduil made a grumpy grumble. “You think it is strange? You are not the one it is happening to.”

“No, not this.” Thorin stroked the curve of his belly. “No, I mean… I never thought I’d have a child.” He smiled, feeling a strange flutter inside him as he looked at his hand. “And to think. All the times we used to do this, all those nights you snuck into my bed, and it happened a century later, during the strangest lapse of judgement I ever had.”

Thranduil made a sleepy noise. “It was probably fate. Our people will be all the better in the future with our child and our marriage.”

Thorin nodded, looking in wonder at the round belly beneath his hand. The thought that his daughter was inside of Thranduil made him nearly giddy. “I still do not like you much, Elf, but I do believe you will be a good mother to our child.”

“The feeling is mutual, then.” Thranduil curled into Thorin’s warmth. “Still dislike you, but I trust you will be a good father, for you are a good king,” he mumbled sleepily.

Thorin chuckled softly but shushed Thranduil, pressing a kiss to his head. “Sleep,” he whispered, closing his eyes as well. 

~

Just days after the wedding celebrations ended, Thranduil and Thorin asked for a special council meeting with Bard and Legolas joining them before they left the mountain. “The worry we have is that since the failed attempt on Thranduil’s life, the next attack from the Easterlings could be upon our neighbors from Dale,” Thorin said, looking to Bard. “We have a strong suspicion of their reasoning behind these bold attacks, but we fear that they could turn their aims to Bard and his family.”

Thranduil nodded. “Or potentially, they may make an attempt on Legolas as he travels back to our realm,” he said, looking at his son. “If nothing else, they may try to ransom my son or one of Bard’s children for some concession.”

Bard nodded. “We shall all have to be vigilant. There is very little chance someone could mount a successful invasion on Erebor, but Dale stands vulnerable as we rebuild. We do not even have proper walls at this time.”

“We should send a small company of soldiers to help,” Legolas suggested, earning surprised looks from the dwarven council. “Elves have excellent vision in the darkness. A group of less than ten could watch from the roofs of houses for signs of an approaching attack in the night.”

Thranduil nodded. “If you would like, Bard, I would allow a small group of my men to come help keep watch on your people.”

“You should assign two dwarves to guard his daughters,” Dis said from Thorin’s other side. He looked at her and she shook her head grimly. “There are stories of how men from the east get wives. Taking a daughter of the King of Dale would seem like a glorious war prize for such animals,” she said in disgust. “A guard to accompany each girl with his ax always at the ready would suffice.”

Bard nodded. “If you are willing, I will accept both of your offers. Easterlings who are a serious enough threat that Thranduil has chosen to spend the first year of his marriage here in Erebor for safety are a fearful prospect indeed.”

Thranduil glanced at Thorin, who shrugged as if to say the choice was his. “You are, by now, the only one here who is not aware of the true reason I am spending the next year here,” he said with a sheepish smile. “I must confess, that the rather rushed decision to marry was not entirely for political gain.” He glanced around the table with some shame, though he knew that Thorin’s council knew from the night Thorin discovered. “You see, my friend… though I am king of Silvan elves, I am an elf of the Sindar,” he explained. “And of my kin it is not only female elves who can bear children.” He saw understanding dawn on Bard’s face.

“You are with child?!” he asked in surprise, and Thranduil nodded.

“Yes. In a half-year, my child will be born.” He looked at Thorin. “Do they all know?” he asked, and Thorin shook his head.

“No, but I believe it is time that we discuss it openly,” he encouraged.

Thranduil sat back in his seat some. “The reason I fled Dale the night the Easterlings attacked is because the Lady Galadriel must have had a vision, as she is wont to do, and she discovered the imminent attack upon me. Because of that, she came to me in my sleep and warned me that the men of the east have a prophecy from the Dark Elves of that land from long ago. They believe that the birth of a half-dwarf, half-elf child will bring a long, lasting period of peace, prosperity, and strength for our three kingdoms.” He tilted his head. “And with that comes the ability to stop their raids to the North. While they could still continue their fairly common raids to the south to Gondor and Rohan, there is much to be made from raiding the dwarven villages of the North. A strong alliance between my kingdom and Thorin’s kingdom would make us all much stronger.”

“And through a child of both races, that alliance would be much less likely to fall,” Balin realized, nodding grimly. “So the night you were attacked, Lord Thranduil, they were attempting to prevent the birth of that child?”

Thranduil nodded, grimacing. “I saw the vision of my child in my dreams and I knew that I must ensure my child is born and is safe. I was planning to come to Thorin with the answer about marriage from my council when I finished in Dale anyways, so when I awoke in a panic at the knowledge someone was after my child, I ordered we make a run for Erebor at once. I was not thinking clearly, and I did not remember the full details of the prophecy until I awoke from my injuries, but the important part is that I did arrive in Erebor, I survived the injury, and with our marriage, I am even more confident that my child will be safe for the remainder of my pregnancy.”

Bard smiled. “I am sure you and your child will be safe here,” he assured. “And you have my congratulations! A new babe is a glorious event, I assure you.” He gave him a more serious look. “And you can be sure that, in the future, the child of my friend will always have the sworn protection of the people of Dale.”

Thranduil bowed his head with a smile. “Thank you, Bard.”

The rest of the meeting was spent planning patrols of the roads between Erebor and Dale and Dale and Mirkwood, hoping to keep the merchants of their realms safe so that commerce could continue and trade could flourish. After all, that was what they wanted with the peace between their kingdoms.

~

Thorin and Thranduil managed to keep the child a secret for just beyond a month after the wedding, at which point Thranduil simply could not bear to wear heavy cloaks anymore. Spring had arrived, as had the second wave of kin from the west, and with the growing population in Erebor, rumors began to spread that Thranduil was ill due to his constant dressing as if it were winter still. 

After Thorin had it announced that a royal babe was to be born, Thranduil was free to wear his normal, beautiful clothes, but with some alterations for his growing middle. Often times, these alterations accentuated his rounded belly, something Thorin found himself oddly happy about. He loved seeing Thranduil and knowing his child grew within him. He enjoyed the way Thranduil looked, more gentle and sweet, as he would look down at his belly in surprise after the child moved inside of him. 

It was a bit confusing to say the least. So much of him wanted to hate Thranduil still, and yet the cold, hard king was shedding layers of ice every day his belly grew. Carrying their child inside of him made him calmer, and even more fun than the man Thorin once knew long ago. Thranduil could be found reading in the most random places in Erebor at times and laughing when servants and guards were startled to find him there. When the final wave of his kin arrived from the west, finally filling the halls of Erebor to the measure that Thorin once remembered, Thranduil stood at his side, taking his role as the husband of the king far more seriously than Thorin ever thought he would. 

He also underestimated how much like a real marriage they would end up treating their situation. After the first night of ‘officiating their marriage’, he hadn’t expected Thranduil to ever call for him to come to his chambers, but it seemed they both still enjoyed each other’s bodies. It wasn’t terribly uncommon for Thranduil to ask for him to come to him for the night. 

Thorin was beginning to find as much comfort in Thranduil’s chambers as his own. He watched from the table in Thranduil’s sitting room as he walked around in his bedroom, wearing nothing but a thin white gown, long legs slipping through the opening in the front every once in a while as he walked, revealing a glimpse of slender, pale thighs. “I just cannot find my blasted comb!” Thranduil called, pacing past the doors again. Thorin watched a boot come bouncing along into the doorway and chuckled. 

Thranduil eventually came out with a sigh, running his fingers through his hair. “I give up,” he decided and Thorin tutted, looking up at him.

“Your hair looks the same as always,” he argued and Thranduil huffed.

“It’s all rumpled,” he argued, settling across from Thorin at the table as he fiddled with the ends of his hair. 

Thorin leaned across the table, sliding his fingers into the silky golden hair that fell like water from Thranduil’s head. “Your hair is as beautiful as ever, Thranduil. Stop being vain about two strands of hair sticking out,” he chastised and Thranduil swatted at his hand.

“You would say that, with the rats nest on your head,” he grumbled, making Thorin snort. “I look as unkempt as my son does like this.”

Thorin rolled his eyes and sighed. “I will have a comb brought to you immediately,” he promised and Thranduil settled back some, crossing one long leg over the other. “Have some tea. It’s good for your nerves,” Thorin encouraged. “For you clearly have reached their end,” he added as soon as Thranduil took a sip, and Thranduil glowered over the rim of his teacup. 

“You are lucky I am smarter than to murder the king in his own mountain,” he muttered and Thorin grinned in amusement when he saw the guard by the door twitch at that proclamation.

Thorin reached out and settled a hand on Thranduil’s forearm. “I am only teasing. Do not worry. If you want, I will comb your hair myself to assure you it looks nice.”

Thranduil sighed, lowering his cup again. “I know, I know.” He rubbed a hand over his face. “I just feel so out of sorts lately.”

Thorin frowned. “Are you alright? Are you unwell?”

“I think it’s a combination of another creature growing inside of me and having not been outdoors in so long,” Thranduil admitted. “I have never in my life spent so much time without riding or going for a walk in the forest. I thank you so much for my balcony, for I believe without at least the fresh air, I’d have gone mad by now.” He looked longingly out the open doors to said balcony. “If I wasn’t so worried about my safety, I would have given up and gone riding out across the plain very long ago.”

Thorin nodded with understanding. Even he had been feeling a bit cooped up lately, and he was a dwarf, built to flourish in the tunnels and caves inside the mountain. He could only imagine how difficult it would be for someone who had lived his life among the trees for centuries to be stuck inside of Erebor for months now. “Perhaps we should organize a visit to Dale for you?” he suggested. 

“It is not safe,” Thranduil dismissed immediately.

Thorin shrugged. “There hasn’t been an attack on the patrols in a month. No sightings either. You would travel heavily guarded, of course, but you could at least get out of doors.”

Thranduil looked at him with a small smile that Thorin did not understand. It seemed something far gentler than he was used to Thranduil looking upon him with. “Come with me?” he asked, and Thorin settled back in his seat some.

“I can. But why do you want me to?” he asked skeptically.

Thranduil gave an almost _annoyed_ look. “While I carry your child, I know that I could never be safer than with you there to protect us, Thorin. I would feel safer if you were with me.”

Thorin glanced to Thranduil’s middle, insides twisting excitedly at the thought of the babe who was only a few months from birth. “I do agree that it is doubtful anybody is more willing to do whatever is necessary to protect you and our child.”

“So you will come?” Thranduil asked, and Thorin bowed his head.

“Yes, Thranduil. I will come,” he agreed. “Tomorrow should work. We can send word today to Bard that we are coming,” he said and Thranduil brightened considerably.

“Excellent! Oh my poor horse probably has forgotten what it is to travel it has been so long,” he cried excitedly, only to jump smoothly from his chair once more. “Now I really do have to find where I left my riding boots,” he said, and Thorin laughed openly as Thranduil swept around the chambers once again.

~

Thorin was getting used to feeling small around Thranduil, but nothing made him feel smaller than riding his pony alongside Thranduil’s towering horse. “Well at least it’s smaller than that damned elk.”

“I heard that,” Thranduil said with a glare. “I loved him, do not be so callus. His death weighed heavily on me.” He rubbed his horses’s mane. “I miss the antlers.”

“They match the design of your crown, that is for sure,” Thorin teased and Thranduil huffed, chin up to show off his crown of towering twigs, as Thorin called it. 

“I’m very tall even for my kin, the poor horse looks small with me on her,” he said and Thorin grumbled.

“Yes, well I’m very tall for _my_ kin, and you don’t see me riding a full size horse to show it off, do you?” Thranduil gave him an amused smile and Thorin raised an eyebrow. “What?”

Thranduil shook his head, biting his lip. “You would look very regal on a horse,” he said. “Like a young prince of Men-“

“I will have them take you back to Erebor if you keep it up,” Thorin threatened, though his smile betrayed his tone.

He shared a long, happy look with Thranduil as the rode, neither of them breaking the gaze until he heard Kili made a disgusted sound. “They’re _flirting_ again.” Thorin watched as Thranduil glared over his shoulder, snickering when Kili clearly didn’t notice. “It’s disturbing.”

“Well, they are married,” Fili said.

“No, he’s definitely right, it’s very disturbing,” Tauriel said, and Thorin snorted as Thranduil’s eyes narrowed further. “I’ve never seen Lord Thranduil ever act so… normal.”

“Uncle Thorin either,” Kili said. “All my life, he’s been sad and angry. It’s strange seeing him _flirting_ … reminds me of Fili, actually.”

Thorin cleared his throat, smirking as he watched Thranduil’s glare deepen. “You do know we can hear you, right?” he called back to the three.

“Then stop flirting where we can hear _you_!” Kili called, making Thorin chuckle.

Thranduil gave him a sideways look. “If we were in my kingdom, I’d never stand for such insolence,” he said and Thorin scoffed.

“Oh he’s just a boy,” he dismissed. “When I was his age-“

“We were already doing a lot more than flirting,” Thranduil pointed out with a smirk.

Thorin chuckled low in his throat. “Well, I’m quite certain Kili isn’t sneaking Bard into his bed when he comes to Erebor, so clearly he is not _just_ like me,” he said and Thranduil tutted, smirking.

“He better not or I am confident my guard may cause quite the incident by killing your second prince painfully,” he joked and Thorin gave him a chastising look. Thranduil just smiled a self-satisfied smile and didn’t react to Thorin’s expression or the whispering and snickering from the three behind them.

~

After a safe arrival in Dale, Bard implored them to enjoy themselves while he finished dealing with some business matters, and Thorin suggested they walk among the stalls in the market. It was so wonderful to see how quickly Dale was flourishing while reconstruction was still going on. There were dwarves, Men, and even a few elves from Mirkwood among those at the market, and even if the dwarves who approached Thorin to greet him mostly ignored Thranduil, and the same of elves ignoring Thorin, the people of Dale greeted them both with great warmth. 

Thranduil, much to Thorin’s extreme amusement, kept being given samples of different sorts of food, especially from wrinkled elders who insisted their goods were healthy for the child. “Thorin,” Thranduil called, waving a hand for him to come over to the latest stall without even looking to see if he was still there. “Thorin, you must try this.” He barely waited for Thorin to get to his side before practically shoving a small chunk of bread into his mouth without warning. 

Thorin leaned back, but caught the bread and ate it, looking at Thranduil’s expectant look. “It’s sweet,” he said. “When I’m not choking on it,” he added.

“It is glazed with a mixture of honey and berries, Lord Thranduil,” the old woman at the stall said, pointing at Thranduil with a cheery smile. “Very good for his babe,” she assured and Thorin smiled in thanks.

“Well it is most delicious,” he said, and Thranduil nodded, unable to speak for he was already eating the second piece she had urged him to eat. “Thranduil, do you think maybe you should stop eating the people of Dale out of supply?” he teased. “Especially since Bard will certainly have a feast planned for our visit tonight.”

Thranduil grumbled. “It is your fault I am like this,” he accused, free hand going to his rounded belly. “Your child clearly has your dwarven appetite. I’m absolutely famished in between every meal,” he said, licking a crumb off of his fingertip as they had Fili pay the woman as they continued on. 

Thorin nodded in mock seriousness. “Yes, and that is definitely not why your face has become fuller.”

Thranduil tutted, head held high. “You lie. I look the same as always.”

“It is not unattractive,” Thorin continued, grinning to himself as Thranduil studiously ignored him. “You simply are beginning to match your pregnant belly.”

Thranduil sniffed, looking to the side at another stall. “Well clearly you are not too dissatisfied with my full face, for you haven’t refused any of the times I’ve asked you to my chambers,” he challenged and Thorin caught Thranduil’s hand, bringing it to his lips to press a kiss to his knuckles.

“You’re as elvenly beautiful as ever, Thranduil. Have been since the day we met,” he promised, only to be amused as Thranduil ducked his head to hide a bashful smile at the compliment. Thorin fought the wave of unexpected affection he felt for Thranduil at that moment by pulling him over to a stall that jewels crafted in Erebor by a fellow he knew. “Hello, Faren! How is your craft recently?”

“Quite well, Sire, especially after Prince Kili commissioned several beads and clasps for a lady’s hair.” He gave Thorin a knowing look. “Young ones when they are smitten, aye?”

Thorin chuckled and Thranduil bit his lip in amusement. “Oh I’m sure he will learn eventually that showering a woman in gifts only gains her attention for so long.”

As they continued on, it was a carved wooden pony that caught Thranduil’s attention. Thorin watched as he walked over to the stall with small wooden figurines and touched the pony, gently lifting it to turn it. “Very soon, our daughter will be here and she will play with things like this,” Thranduil said softly, holding the little legs lightly. He looked to Thorin, an amazed look on his face. “Our child.”

Thorin felt his heart flutter and he looked at the toy in Thranduil’s hand and cleared his throat. “Get that. The toy. Get it for her,” he managed, and Thranduil met his eyes with a similarly excited look. Thorin knew that, for all their situations had changed, their excitement for the arrival of the child was something that had not lessened. 

Thranduil quietly purchased the toy and when they began walking again, he took Thorin’s elbow, holding his arm as they continued around the market.

~

As Thranduil said goodbye to Bard after a very pleasant visit with his friend, Thorin helped Kili ready the horses and ponies. “So,” he said, giving Kili and amused look. “What is this I hear about you commissioning Faren to make a lot of beads and clasps for a lady’s hair,” he teased. “Showering Tauriel in gift already?”

Kili scoffed. “Oh no, Faren means Fili. He never remembers who is who.” He nodded to Fili and Tauriel working together to prepare some of the others. “Those were for Mother.” He snickered. “As if Tauriel would have any use for beads and clasps,” he laughed.

Thorin hummed. “Oh? You do not think to give her trinkets?”

“Of course not,” Kili said, smiling proudly. “I make her arrows.” 

Thorin laughed in surprise. “Arrows? That’s your token of affection to the woman you are courting?”

Kili nodded with a bright smile. “Of course. She is a warrior, and a huntress. I forge heads for her arrows made of the strongest metal, yet light enough for her farthest shots.” He ducked his head bashfully. “She likes them.”

Thorin bit back a teasing remark only because Fili and Tauriel chose that moment to walk over with them with Thranduil. “Are we ready to go?” Thranduil asked, and Thorin nodded.

“Yes, just finishing up with your horse,” he said, rubbing the horse’s flank before stepping back. He mounted his pony and then watched in amusement when Thranduil needed a guard’s hand to get onto his mount, his balance was so off from his round belly. “You alright, Thranduil?”

Thranduil tossed his hair back, glaring Thorin’s way. “Do not laugh. You are the reason for this,” he reminded him and Thorin smirked.

“So you keep saying, but I’m fairly certain you offered no complaints at the time,” he joked and Thranduil rolled his eyes dramatically.

“Oh do shut up.”

~

Thorin smiled as he gently stroked Thranduil’s round belly, drawing shapes along his skin with his fingertips. Thranduil caught his wrist, sloshing the water of the bath some, and guided his hand to the side of his belly, flattening his palm so he could feel where the child was moving inside of him. “She seems to be rolling around like a ball,” Thranduil said with a note of amusement as he looked at Thorin, who was leaning over the edge of the bath to reach the other side of his belly so far that his sleeves were getting wet. “You know, I did suggest you get in with me,” Thranduil said flirtatiously, reaching out to draw a wet finger along the exposed skin of Thorin’s chest.

Thorin chuckled and shook his head. “I’m caring for my pregnant husband, it is not my intention to get any further gratification.” He moved back to his original position, kneeling by Thranduil’s shoulders, and moved his hands back to kneading the muscles of his neck, making Thranduil sigh at the feeling.

“You are far too good to me, Thorin,” Thranduil murmured, leaning his head back to look at Thorin.

Thorin shook his head, sliding his fingers through Thranduil’s wet hair gently. “I enjoy caring for you and our babe.” He pressed a kiss to Thranduil’s forehead. “Running a kingdom is complicated and tiresome, as you well know, and it is a pleasure to take a night off from being King under the Mountain to just come and spend time being a husband and father-to-be. I never thought I would be either, so it is nice to just enjoy the peace these hours reprieve give me.”

Thranduil smiled serenely, eyes shut as he allowed Thorin to wash his hair for him. “I remember,” he said softly. “It was so long ago, though.”

Thorin felt a pang of sadness at Thranduil’s words. It was not easy to remember that Thranduil, too, had been the husband of an expectant mother once. “Were you constantly worried about the child as I am now?” he asked and Thranduil nodded with a soft smile.

“Always. My wife was very stubborn and never took enough care as I would have liked, but it made me very worried when she was with child.” He rolled his eyes. “Legolas clearly gets his lack of care for what danger he puts himself into from that.”

Thorin couldn’t stop himself from asking, “What happened? Nobody has ever mentioned the absence of a queen in Mirkwood. In all the stories, all the histories, there was never a mention of where Legolas came from.”

Thranduil closed his eyes, hand clenching on the side of the tub. “It was so very long ago, centuries upon centuries. Legolas has no memory of her, and I wanted it to be that way. I never allowed songs about her or tales of her to be told. I think the pain of what happened to her… the _horror_. It was too much for many to even tell each other in secret. So she was lost rather than remembered for the horror of what happened.”

“I am sorry,” Thorin said, stroking his hair gently. “I should not have asked. It is not my place. You need not say anything further.”

“No, it’s alright,” Thranduil said, voice tight. “Legolas is just like her in one regard, the rush to join a fight, the sense of excitement when others sense danger. It is one of the reasons I fought my distaste for Tauriel for so long. She is just like my wife was. More driven to be a warrior and a soldier than anything else. Even for a queen, raised a princess before I ever met her, she had the bearing of a soldier.” He tipped his head against the rim of the bath. “Legolas was but a year or so old, barely able to walk and talk, when his mother was killed.” He hesitated, looking at Thorin with sadness in his eyes. “You must have realized by now that elves do not die often. Very few are ever killed, even in battle the wounded often outweigh the dead, for we can withstand so much damage. Most elves, even those wounded horribly, choose to leave Middle Earth, so when an elf dies, it is usually a story remembered for generations.”

Thorin frowned. “And yet… she was not?”

“No,” Thranduil said firmly. “She was taken by orcs who caught her in the northern forests to Gundabad where she was tortured to death. There was no grave. There was no need to share the story of how the queen of the realm was murdered. And now, centuries later, nobody remembers that tale that is willing to tell it. Legolas knows what happened to her, but he does not remember her. I raised him alone, I cared for him as an only parent, and that is all there was to it.”

Thorin carefully tugged Thranduil’s hand from where it was clenched on the side of the tub. “I am sorry,” he whispered sincerely. “For both asking about it, and that you carry such a horrible memory with you.” He kissed his knuckles, white from being clenched so hard. “For what it is worth, I think you did well raising your son to be a good prince.”

Thranduil sighed, smiling sadly. “Stubborn recklessness notwithstanding,” he agreed, and Thorin kissed his temple. 

“Come. Get out of the bath and get some rest. You seem very tired lately,” Thorin said, standing and offering Thranduil his hand.

Thranduil took his hand, smiling as Thorin helped him climb out of the bath. Thorin held up his robe and Thranduil stepped into it. “Thank you,” he said, wrapping it around his body. 

Thorin nodded, stepping away. “Goodnight, Thranduil,” he said, but before he could leave the room, Thranduil called for him.

“Thorin?” He turned and Thranduil walked to him, hair dripping. “Stay?”

Thorin smiled gently. “You need to rest,” he reminded and Thranduil shook his head.

“I don’t mean that.” He raised a hand and cupped Thorin’s cheek. “Just… stay?”

Thorin searched his eyes, trying to work out what he needed, but all he could see was warmth and affection. It was an affection he reciprocated immensely. “Alright.”

~

Thorin woke to the feeling of faint, tiny thumps against his back. He blinked in confusion, only to reach behind him and immediately realize what he was feeling. Thranduil chuckled in his ear. “Our child has decided not to let either of us sleep, I see,” Thranduil murmured tiredly.

Thorin smiled as he rubbed the side of Thranduil’s belly. “Yes, that is your father you are hitting,” he said and Thranduil made an amused sound into Thorin’s hair. “Is she often this active while you sleep? That is probably why you seem tired so often.”

“It comes and goes,” Thranduil answered. “She kicks sometimes in the night, but other nights she seems to be sleeping along with me. I think she particularly enjoys having something to kick against besides my insides. Your backside provides something firm.”

Thorin smiled and made no move to move away from Thranduil. “You should rest more during the day,” Thorin suggested. “Whenever she is not active.”

“I have things to do, but I do try to allow some time to rest near mid-day,” Thranduil mentioned. He curled his arm around Thorin, humming as he pressed closer. “If you want, you can leave. Get some real sleep.”

Thorin shook his head, putting his hand over Thranduil’s, smiling when the babe kicked his back. “Not to worry, my dear,” he muttered tiredly. “I’m happy with where I am.”

Thorin was already nearly asleep, so he didn’t feel the way Thranduil’s breath caught at Thorin’s use of endearment.

~

Thorin watched in amusement as Thranduil swept past Dis and took the seat between her and Thorin since his cousin, Dain, took the seat Thranduil usually took in the great hall. He and his son, also named Thorin, were visiting from the Iron Hills to celebrate establishing trade between their kingdoms.

“I am so sorry,” Thranduil said in his most commanding yet indifferent tone. “I’ve grown a bit larger since we last had a celebration, and my clothes were all quite snug.”

Thorin was amused by how hard Dain was trying not to insult Thorin in his choice of spouse in spite of his hatred for elves. “So. The next in the line of Durin to fill the throne of the Lonely Mountain will be… elven,” Dain said, fixing a forced smile. “How interesting.”

“Not necessarily,” Thorin said, glancing past Dain and his son to Fili. “It is most likely that Fili will remain my heir. My sister-sons are still just as worthy for the throne as my child, and unlike them, my child will also be the second heir to another kingdom.” He smiled at Thranduil’s amused eyes. “It is a special circumstance, but my child is what we most need.” He looked back to Dain. “A sturdy and permanent link between our great kingdoms. The alliance between elves and dwarves is one that will preserve a lasting prosperity for our kind.”

Dain hummed. “I see. I thought I remembered you being firm in your… regard. For elves. Especially Lord Thranduil.”

Thorin tutted. “I was young and foolish when I made those judgements. Barely older than Fili and Kili. Or your young Thorin,” he said, nodding to the young man at his father’s right. “It is easy to pass judgements when you are young and foolish and you believe what you are told. Not everything you are told, no matter how reliable the source, is always true.” 

Dain and Thorin continued to talk for most of the meal, and when the meal finished, Thorin went to show Dain and his son some of the reconstruction that had gone on. Left to return to the wing where the royal family resided with only Dis at his side and Kili and Tauriel following them, Thranduil couldn’t help but comment on Dis’s silence. “You do not like me,” he observed and Dis gave him a darkly amused look.

“You are right, Elfking. I do not,” she said without wavering. “My brother may not be a fair judge of you, too blinded by your pretty face, but I do not trust a word that comes from your mouth.”

Thranduil hummed. “I only ever held hatred for your grandfather, never for Thorin, or indeed, all dwarves. Not like most of my kin. I know not what I have done to earn your dislike-“

“You really don’t?” she countered, narrowing her gaze. “Nothing at all in the past century and a half comes to mind? Like fucking my brother and turning him against our grandfather and then turning your back on the entire kingdom when you realized there was no throne from which you could use Thorin’s affections to sway to your liking when the time came?” Thranduil was taken aback and she continued at his silence. “Convenient, isn’t it? How you capture my brother and his company on a quest to retake Erebor and decide to fuck him again and somehow that one time just so happened to leave you with child when the two years you were having an affair never did, and oh look!” She gave him a sarcastic smile. “He succeeded in retaking our home, where he is king, and you show up just far enough later that you are visibly and undeniably with child, conveniently using his weakness for your pretty face and his big heart and the desire to help others as a way to get that ring on your finger and a permanent link to having elven control over a mountain full of riches.” 

“That- how could you even-“

Thranduil’s shocked stuttering was cut off as Dis snapped at him. “You don’t give a damn about my brother, and you never did, you are simply carving a legacy for yourself beyond your borders, Elf. All you elves ever want is _more_ and you worked out just the way to get your hands on every jewel in the coffers of dwarves. You have no heart, Thranduil Oropherion, no elf does, yet you continue to play with that of my brother, and you can have my word that I will be watching for the day you decide you are through with him, and turn his heart to steel once again, and _I will ruin you and your bastard child_ -“

“Mother!” Kili interrupted angrily, storming over from where he had been lagging behind. “Are you mad?!” he demanded, clearly between shock and anger. 

Thranduil just stared, unable to even speak. He was always aware Dis did not like him, but he had no idea of her hatred. “Is that what you think?” he asked shakily, throat tightening around a rising lump. “You- you think I’m _biding my time_?” He clenched his jaw in order to fight back a wave of emotion he did not want to show. “You think it was all a game?” He looked at Kili. “Do you all think this of me?” he asked weakly.

“No,” Kili said firmly. He turned to his mother. “Uncle Thorin would be very angry with you, Mother. You do not see them together the way Fili and I do. Lord Thranduil is not playing any sort of game. _Mahal_ do you think he controls the ability to become pregnant? You think him cruel enough to create a child for such purposes? Perhaps your grandfather was truly the one to blame for the prejudices between our races, because I know that elves are not cold and heartless, Mother, better than most-“

“Oh yes, let’s not forget that!” Dis cried. She looked at Tauriel. “We mustn’t forget that Thranduil’s little _whore_ has already poisoned the mind of one of Thorin’s heirs! It’s a marvel it was you and not Fili Thranduil set her after-“

“How _dare_ you?” Kili snapped, stepping over to block his mother’s view of Tauriel. “Do not say that about her-“

“My child, you are honestly defending the elven whore over your own mother?” Dis asked with a harsh laugh.

Kili fixed a pained look on his face. “If my mother would see sense and not let the drink she’s had ignite her prejudices against the woman I love, I would not have to,” he said quietly, voice breaking. “Mother… you are drunk-“

She gave a snarled laugh full of hatred. “I wouldn’t have to drink to bear the feast if I wasn’t stuck watching my brother make a fool of himself in front of our cousins, all the while sitting beside the greedy elf carrying that wretched _bastard child_ -“

“Dis!”

They all stilled as Thorin stormed around the corner, Fili practically running to keep up with him. He looked livid as he approached. “Tell me I did not hear you just call my child-“

“Just because he conned you into marrying him does not negate the fact that child is a bastard not worthy of the blood of Durin,” Dis said fearlessly, meeting Thorin’s eyes. “An elf cannot be trusted, nonetheless one who conveniently shows up claiming the child he carries is that of the brand new King under the Mountain-“

“Do not speak to my King that way,” Tauriel said, voice shaking with anger. She had kept quiet so far, but as she shook her head the tears on her cheeks reflected the light of the torches in the corridor. “You can call me whatever you think I am, but I cannot ignore you repeating the lies you have told about King Thranduil.”

She scoffed. “You are only here because you and your king are much alike. Preying on the weak-minded young dwarves who are taken by your pretty faces-“

“Kili is not weak-minded!” Tauriel defended, teeth gritted in anger. “I do not care if you think me nothing but a whore, but do you think so little of your own son that he would fall for a pretty face?! Kili isn’t weak-minded, he is far more intelligent than you, that much is certain. He is intelligent enough to understand that your blind hatred for my kin is without reason and based on past disputes that do not concern the rest of us. He sees me for who I am, not for my race. It takes bravery, heart, and intelligence to overcome generations of hatred, and while your family seems to have done so, you do not.” She shook her head. “Do not think for a moment that Kili is the one who needs to open his eyes, Lady Dis. He sees far more than you.”

Thorin put a hand on Tauriel’s shoulder in comfort as they all watched tears roll down her cheeks. He looked to Kili and nodded to her. “I will handle this,” he promised them both as Kili came and took Tauriel’s hands, pressing a kiss to them both.

“Come on. You do not have to put up with this,” he told her, curling an arm around her middle as he turned and led her away. 

Thorin waited until they had rounded the corner before turning back to his sister, stalking closer. “I do not know what all you have been saying to make that girl cry, but I did very much hear you call _my husband_ some very vile things. He is the King of the Woodland Realm. He is the mother of my child. I do not care what happened in the past. The past is just that. All that there was before is gone. There is only this, right now. This kingdom. This king. This royal babe.” He shook his head. “Thror was a greedy fool, and I fell dangerously close to following in his madness, but I did not, and so the prejudices of the past against the entire race of elves is _going to end_.” He shook his head. “Do not impugn my daughter’s honor so lightly just because she is half-elven. Do not belittle my nephew because you are bitter that Kili fell in love with someone you do not approve of. He may be your son, but he is still my blood as well.”

“And he is my brother,” Fili said, voice tinged with disgust as he looked at his mother. “You are better than this, Mother.” He shook his head. “We fought tooth and nail to regain this mountain without you, in case you forgot. We know better what the elves are like than you ever could. Your prejudices are outdated. The past is the past, like Thorin says. Elves fought and died helping defend this mountain, no matter what their original intention was. That gives me all I need to know about the race of elves.” He shook his head. “And Tauriel defied her king to save my little brother’s life. I do not care that you are my mother, I will not let you speak ill of the woman who is the sole reason my brother is still with me,” he said before turning and walking away.

Thranduil swallowed and turned to look away. “I- I do not feel well. I think I shall go to bed early,” he muttered before leaving Thorin and Dis alone in the corridor to finish their argument between them all alone. He could not bear another moment of her claims against him.

~

Thorin found Thranduil curled up on his side in his bed, but he was not asleep. He could see his hand clenched in the sheets. “Thranduil?” he said softly. 

“I’m fine,” he said softly, but Thorin heard the tears in his voice. He walked around the bed and climbed up to sit beside Thranduil, looking down at his face. He reached out and stroked a hand through Thranduil’s hair. Thranduil shivered and looked up at him, tears brimming unshed in big, beautiful blue eyes. “Is that what you think of me? That I somehow purposefully made myself with child just to try and rule a second realm through you?”

Thorin shook his head, leaning in closer. “Never,” he whispered, stroking Thranduil’s hair from his face. “I know you did not have any motive. You did not even want to come to me. Legolas is the only reason you told me about the child in the first place. That was not staged.” He shook his head. “You are not interested in those things.”

“And she said about our affair all those years ago?” Thranduil asked in a meek tone. “Is that what you think that was?”

Thorin felt a pang of guilt as he hesitated and Thranduil turned some, giving him a heartbroken look. “I- I did not at the time,” he said carefully. He gently traced a fingertip along Thranduil’s eyebrow. “I did not think your plan was to rule through me… but after Smaug, I came to a- a realization, I guess.” He bit his lip. “I realized that it was all some cruel game to you. That you never cared for me, that you only wanted to have fun with the young, naïve dwarf who saw your beauty when others did not.” Thranduil whimpered, clenching his eyes shut as he turned and Thorin shushed him. “I do not believe that anymore,” he said quickly. “I have come to know you, Thranduil. The real you. I believe I understand you much better now than I ever did then.”

Thranduil looked up at him, sniffling as a tear streaked his cheek, running along the side of his nose. “And what do you think now?” he asked weakly.

“That you had to be a king first and foremost,” Thorin answered, wiping away his tears. “I know now how selfless one must be to be a good king. I suspect now… that you loved me. And that you made a hard choice for the good of your people.”

Thranduil let out a shuddering breath, pressing his face into the pillow. “It was the hardest thing I ever had to do in my whole life, to turn my back on you and your people, Thorin. Thousands of years on this earth and I cannot ever remember a harder choice. It was nothing I could stop. I would have just gotten my own people killed. I knew that you would hate me forever. I knew that you would suffer. I knew that everything would be ruined. But I am a king, I have been a king far longer than I knew you. Longer than most ever will be. I had a duty-“

“And I understand that now,” Thorin promised. “At the time I was so young. I was hurt and angry and my people had suffered greatly. I only had room for hatred after my broken heart hardened into distrust for your entire race. I thought for so long that they were wrong about elves, and your actions made me ‘understand’ that they were right and I had been blinded by my love for you.” He stroked his hair. “I know now what it is to be a king. I understand the sacrifices. I know that I must make the hard choices so that my people have what is best. I did so when I ignored the bitterness I still carried in my heart towards you and made the choice to marry you so I could keep the peace for them. Being a king is about making the hard choices and sacrificing more than the normal person does. It only makes sense that you were the same.”

Thranduil caught Thorin’s hand and held it tightly, looking up into his eyes. “You have to know, Thorin.”

“Know what?” Thorin asked gently.

Thranduil searched his eyes, hope in his own. “That I love you. I loved you then and now I love you again.”

Thorin smiled and pressed their foreheads together. “And I love you, my dear.” He brushed a kiss to Thranduil’s lips. “Since you have been here, I grow to love you more every day.”

“I never had some ulterior motive back then. I only ever wanted to be with you because I love you,” Thranduil urged. “Dis is wrong, I never would-“

“Shhhh, I know.” Thorin stroked Thranduil’s neck. “You are not what she thinks, you are my husband, and you are the mother of my child. You only want what is best for us both and for our babe. I trust that more than anything.”

Thranduil smiled at him. He looked into his eyes and reached out to stroke Thorin’s hair. “I am glad that we became consumed with lust when I had you in my halls.”

Thorin chuckled, smirking. “I believe it was I that had you,” he joked and Thranduil laughed, rolling his eyes at him. “I agree. I am glad as well.” He reached down and stroked Thranduil’s belly. “If we had not, our little one would not be so near being born.”

Thranduil smiled. “She will be such a beautiful princess, I am certain. With you and I as her parents, she can only be stunning.”

“Especially if she has her mother’s face, for he is the most beautiful creature I’ve ever laid eyes on,” Thorin said, earning a smirk from Thranduil.

“I am very beautiful, am I not,” he agreed playfully. Thorin grinned and leaned in to kiss Thranduil. Thranduil relaxed into the kiss, moaning against his lips. “Mmmm, Thorin.” He stroked his hand down Thorin’s back and sighed. “If it were physically possible, I would have you right now,” Thranduil purred and Thorin chuckled, lips trailing along his jaw.

“I could do something for you,” he murmured, hand sliding along Thranduil’s flank. He teased his fingers along the front of Thranduil’s robe, sneaking a touch against his leg. He slid his palm up his thigh, humming when he felt nothing beneath Thranduil’s robe. He pushed it away, revealing Thranduil’s long, pale thigh. “I love your legs.”

Thranduil sighed, but reached down and caught his wrist still. “I would enjoy whatever you do to me, trust me, but I am tired. If you pleasure me, it will wake me up more.”

“You are a strange creature, Thranduil,” Thorin said with a nod. He kissed his head and sat up. “I shall leave you to sleep.”

Thranduil started to sit up, reaching for Thorin. “You can stay-“

“I need to go deal with other things before I can sleep. If you do not need me, I must finish some things,” he said, sliding off the bed. He gestured for Thranduil to lie down again. “Sleep, my dear. You will feel better tomorrow.”

Thranduil smiled at him and slid under the covers, resting his head on the pillows. “Goodnight,” he said, watching until Thorin left his view.

~

Thorin was still sleeping when Fili came for him, shaking him awake. “Uncle, Uncle, wake up!”

Thorin sat up with a start, looking around wildly. “Fili?” he asked, panicking. “What is wrong? What has happened? Was there an attack?” He stopped when he saw Fili smiling brightly. “What is it?”

“Uncle, it is nothing bad. Your child is being born.” He clapped him on the shoulder. “King Thranduil sends for you.”

Thorin’s heart leapt into his throat. “Oh,” he said, realization hitting him. “ _Oh_.” He nearly fell in his rush to get out of his bed and scramble for some clothes. By the time he tugged on trousers and boots under his sleep tunic, he had to fight to keep himself from breaking into a run as he and Fili went to Thranduil’s chambers. 

He found Kili and Tauriel whispering while listening at the door and they startled when they heard Thorin approaching. He smiled to them when the guards opened the doors for him and he passed by into the room. When he headed into Thranduil’s chamber, he saw the healer who had been attending to Thranduil throughout his stay in Erebor with him while a servant carried her water in a bowl. “Thorin!” Thranduil gasped, looking to him while ignoring the servant mopping his brow.

Thorin came to his side, taking his hand. “I am here,” he murmured and Thranduil smiled, though pained.

“I was not going to send for you until the child was born, but I wanted you here,” he said, and Thorin brushed his sweaty hair from his face.

“I am here now, my dear.” He laced their fingers together, pressing his lips to Thranduil’s fingers. “Are you well?” he asked, then glanced to the elven healer, who nodded, a serene look on her face.

“He is doing just fine. It will not be long, but he has handled the pain quite well. Giving birth is a long, painful process for every species, but it is more so for males of the Sindar,” she explained. “Lord Thranduil is doing perfectly for having never did so before.”

Thranduil winced but chuckled. “I can promise, I have felt far worse pain than this in my life.”

Thorin cringed. “That is not a comfort, my dear,” he said, stroking a knuckle along the cheek he knew was scarred by burns beneath Thranduil’s enchantments. Thranduil let out a sound of pain and tensed, gritting his teeth with a whine. “Shhhh, you are doing well. You are so strong.” He brushed his hair, wincing when Thranduil’s grip on his hand became painfully tight. He did not try and take his hand back, though. 

It only took a short while longer before Thranduil’s cry of pain was accompanied by and soon overwhelmed by the screams of an infant. When the healer handed Thorin a small bundle, he took his child and beamed as he looked down at the tiny creature in his arms with nothing but love in his eyes. “Your princess, my Lords,” the healer said and Thorin felt no shame at the tears in his eyes as he looked upon his daughter.

“Thranduil. She is beautiful.” He brought her to Thranduil, and handed her to him. Thranduil laughed exhaustedly as he took his infant and held her close. 

“Thank you. Thank you so much, Thorin.” Thranduil looked at him with a blinding smile. “Thank you for giving me this.”

Thorin shook his head, unable to put into words how, in spite of the sweat and the tears and the exhaustion in his features, Thranduil was the most beautiful he had ever been. He was glowing with love. “Thank you for allowing me to have this with you.” He leaned over and pressed his lips to Thranduil’s hair before pulling away just far enough to look down at their little girl and just sit for a moment, with no care in the world for anything beyond Thranduil and their daughter.

~

Fili had it announced throughout the kingdom that the royal princess had been born while Kili and Tauriel rode with haste to announce the same to Thranduil’s kingdom. Thorin knew he should go receive well wishes, but for the entire first day of their daughter’s life, he did not leave Thranduil’s side. Neither of them looked away from her for very long.

Faster than they would have expected, Legolas arrived mid-morning the day after their daughter was born. Tauriel brought him to Thranduil’s chamber and he arrived and simply stopped in the doorway, eyes wide as he took in the sight of Thranduil sitting and nursing the babe while Thorin stood in the doorway of the balcony, watching with a calm smile. “Father,” Legolas said softly, making Thranduil look up.

“Legolas,” he said softly, looking at Legolas with a happy smile. “Come meet your sister.”

Thorin watched in amusement as Legolas slowly walked over and knelt beside his father. She seemed to be finished nursing, because when Legolas’s movement caught her attention, she whined and flailed her little hands. Legolas smiled, reaching out to catch one of the tiny fists she was waving. “She is so small,” he said gently, his fingertip filling her little hand. 

“All infants are this small,” Thranduil said, looking at him. “You were just as tiny.” 

Legolas reached his other hand, the one not held hostage by the baby’s grip, and touched the soft, dark curls on her head, enough present that one curl was caught on the tip of her pointed little ear. “Her hair is dark.”

“Like her father,” Thranduil agreed, glancing at Thorin.

“What is her name?” Legolas asked, eyes bright as he looked at the babe in wonder.

“Nyris,” Thorin said, walking over to them. “It means ‘new one’ for my people. Which she is. She is a new hope for both of our kingdoms.”

Legolas smiled, looking down at the child again. “Hello, Nyris. I am your brother.” He looked at Thranduil, beaming. “She is beautiful, Adar.” 

“Yes, she is,” Thranduil agreed, looking over at Thorin as he rested a hand on Thranduil’s shoulder. “She is a beautiful mix of us both, is she not, Thorin?” he asked, and Thorin nodded.

“Her beauty she gets from you, my dear, it is only her hair I can take credit for,” he joked and Thranduil tutted, rolling his eyes.

“Says the dwarf all the others swoon over,” he teased. “I see how every dwarf either wants you or wishes he looked like you. It’s very amusing.” He shifted Nyris and looked at Legolas. “Would you like to hold her?”

Legolas looked panicked for a moment before nodding. He carefully received his new sister and held her close to his chest. “Right. Um. Just here.” He settled her in his arms and smiled. “She’s so small and warm.” He stroked a finger along her little ear, thumb and forefinger plucking gently at one of her little curls at the top. “Mae govannen, Nyris. Vanimle sila tiri.”

Thranduil leaned his head against Thorin’s chest, looking up at him. Thorin just shushed him and pressed a kiss to his hair, smiling as they both watched Legolas bouncing Nyris and speaking with her.

~

In the months after Nyris was born, many well-wishers came to Erebor to pay their respects to the new princess of two realms. Thorin was fairly certain most of them simply wanted to gawk at the oddity of a child that was half-elf, half-dwarf, but he could not say that and seem rude to those who might support him. 

Nyris was four months old when, much to Thranduil’s clear displeasure, there was an arrival of a sizeable party of elves. Thorin was startled into standing from his throne, eyebrows high, when the doors opened during a day of audiences with the people of the realm and the first person through the doors ahead of a small host of elven guards was Elrond of Rivendell. “Lord Elrond.” He stepped down a few steps. “To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?” he asked, worried for a moment that something terrible was coming that the elves from so far away had come to him.

“I am sorry we did not send word ahead,” Elrond said, bowing his head when he got to the base of the throne. “I am actually the messenger today. I rode ahead of the rest of my party to announce the coming of my kin to bestow gifts upon the new Princess under the Mountain.” He smiled politely. “The word that Thorin Oakenshield has welcomed a new child into his halls that is also a child of the Greenwood deserved a personal visit to pay our respects.” He gestured vaguely. “The Lord and Lady of Lorien are approaching with a host of elves from both my realm and theirs to pay our respects to you and Thranduil in honor of the birth of your child.”

Thorin chuckled, amused. “I did not know so long of a journey was worth paying respects to my daughter, but as you showed me great hospitality at one time, I can only do the same in return. You and your kin are welcome here.”

Elrond’s eyes twinkled. “There is someone else who made the journey with me that I thought you may be interested to greet,” he said, and turned to gesture for the two guards behind him to step aside. Thorin’s eyes widened dramatically when he saw the amused little smirk on the face of the one who walked from between all the elves, looking smug at his ‘grand entrance’.

“Hello, Thorin.”

“Bilbo!” Thorin laughed, rushing down the last of the steps to greet his friend with a great hug. He pulled back and beamed as he looked down at his friend. “Oh my friend, it is so good to see you!” he cried, and Bilbo slapped his shoulder with a bright smile.

“When word reached me that you’d gone and married the _Elfking_ and were going to have a child, I immediately set out to Rivendell to make sure you hadn’t been bewitched or something.” He gave him an incredulous look. “ _Thranduil._. Really?”

Thorin chuckled, shaking his head. “It is a very long story for another time,” he dismissed. “Oh how the others will be pleased to see you,” he sighed. He looked around. “Lord Elrond, allow someone to show you and Master Baggins to a place where you can rest and wait for the rest of your party to arrive. I must finish granting audiences for the day, but I will come for you as soon as I am finished. Perhaps you can even meet my daughter,” he added, looking down at Bilbo. 

Bilbo chuckled and nodded. “Of course we want to meet your daughter. You have a _daughter_!” he stressed, then turned to follow Elrond and his guards as they left the throne room so that Thorin could finish his duties.

~

“No.” Thranduil shifted his hold on Nyris as she nursed so that she was cradled in one arm. 

Thorin spluttered. “Thranduil, you have to-“

“I do not have to do anything with _Elrond_ ,” he said with distaste.

Thorin huffed. “You know, Elrond is a lot nicer than you ever have been,” he pointed out and Thranduil gave him a betrayed pout. “My dear, I love you, I like your attitude, but you are not very nice.”

“Why should I let that half-elven-“

“Really, that is what you are going with?” Thorin interrupted flatly, nodding pointedly to Nyris. 

“Invasive, aggravating man greet my daughter?” Thranduil continued, ignoring Thorin entirely. 

Thorin walked over and placed his hands on Thranduil’s hips, looking up at his eyes. “Thranduil, you are a king. You deal with unpleasant visitors. These are well-wishers for our child. Do your duty.”

Thranduil sniffed, looking away. “Fine. I will dress Nyris as soon as she has finished,” he said and Thorin nodded in thanks.

“Follow when she is ready,” Thorin said, reaching out to gently stroking Nyris’s hair before turning to leave.

~

Thorin entered the hall where their guests had been brought with Fili and Kili, only for them to both cry out in surprise when they spotted Bilbo sitting with all the rest of their company of thirteen, who had clearly heard their friend was there to visit. “Bilbo!” Kili cried, running across the room with Fili at his heels. They practically dragged Bilbo off his seat and hugged him between them. “It’s so good to see you!”

“Oi, are you _even bigger_?” Bilbo demanded, eyeing Kili suspiciously. 

“Well, I did always say he was tall for a dwarf,” Tauriel said as she walked over and bowed her head to Bilbo. “Master Baggins.”

“Oh look! You’re here,” he said in surprise. “Um, um…” He snapped his fingers and she chuckled.

“Tauriel,” she reminded him, and he nodded.

“Yes, right, Tauriel. Guard for your quite rude king, I presume?” he asked and she laughed.

“Be careful, he may hear you,” she joked. She reached out and slid her hand into Kili’s. “That is not the only reason,” she said and Bilbo looked between here and Kili then smirked.

“Ah, I see. Good on you,” he said, tagging Kili on the arm, snickering when he blushed.

Thorin wanted to join the excitement with his friend, but he had to greet his other guests. He walked to Elrond, who turned from his conversation and smiled. “Ah, Thorin. I believe you have already met Lady Galadriel briefly,” he said, and Thorin nodded, though he still felt a strange unease around the elf before him. Something about her unnerved him. She was so old and so wise, far older than even Thranduil, and he always felt as if she were seeing into his soul when she met his gaze. “This is Lord Celeborn,” he introduced, and Thorin bowed his head kindly. “There are some others you may have met but may not have,” he continued, and Thorin fixed a smile of greeting on his face though he saw the line of elves he was to meet and wanted to groan.

He was saved after about fifteen elves greeted by the arrival of Thranduil. Thorin almost snorted when he saw that Thranduil had donned some of his most ornate clothes and a very ornate circlet that Thorin had crafted for him. He carried Nyris in a sling wrapped around him made of the most beautiful fabric crafted by elves. “Lady Galadriel,” Thranduil said in surprise, clearly having not expected to see her. He came to her and stopped, bowing his head. “I thank you for the forewarning that saved my child and myself. Without your vision I would have been slain before she could ever be born. I am forever in your debt,” he said far more humbly than Thorin had ever heard him speak. 

She just smiled, reaching out to touch the child’s hair – a bold move, Thorin had discovered, as elves did not allow others near their children without permission – and brushed a curl from her forehead. “Your daughter is known amongst those of us who know of her significance as Estela.” She looked to his eyes. “For she is the hope for us all in the future.”

“All the same, we thank you,” Thorin said sincerely.

Thranduil smiled down at his child as she looked around, big, blue eyes wide and curious. “She is called Nyris,” he said to them all.

“What a beautiful name.” Thorin looked up and saw an elf maiden stepped from behind Elrond, approaching them. She stopped a respectful distance, eyes bright and curious as she looked at Nyris. “She is just as beautiful as her name.”

Thranduil looked surprised to see her and he bowed his head. “Lady Arwen. I have not seen you since you were younger than my son,” he said and she giggled, nodding.

“I wanted to see the infant,” she said simply.

Thorin nudged Thranduil’s leg and he tilted his head. “Thorin, this is Lady Arwen, Elrond’s daughter,” he introduced.

Thorin bowed his head to her. “Welcome to Erebor, Lady Arwen.” He nodded to Elrond. “I can only hope my daughter will grow to be as beautiful as yours.” He reached out and caught Nyris’s hand, smiling when she babbled and tugged his finger to her mouth. “No, my love, you cannot eat your father’s finger,” he tutted, pulling his hand free. 

Thranduil smiled. “If you let her near, she will try, Thorin. It is a child’s nature,” he reminded him.

“Come,” Thorin said, looking to his guests. “You must all be hungry. We shall celebrate the arrival of such a large host of elves to the halls of Erebor this night.” He turned to the others. “Bofur, will you lead our guests to their chambers so that they may settle before the feast?”

“Right away,” he said, leaving Bilbo and the others to come gestured to the elves. “We’ve got a whole wing that’s elf-sized since Thranduil came here, so you won’t even have to watch your heads,” he joked as he led the elves away. 

Lady Galadriel gave Thranduil one last, long look before following at the rear. Thorin saw Thranduil looking unnerved as he clutched Nyris closer, but he didn’t dare ask him in front of Bilbo and the rest. He would ask him later for sure.

~

Nyris sat in Thorin’s lap, reaching for Bilbo every time he moved. “Yes, he is a friend,” Thorin said, laughing when she squealed and grabbed onto Bilbo’s hair. 

“Hey, hey, hey!” Bilbo said, pulling from her grasp. “Ow.”

Fili chuckled. “She likes to pull hair,” he explained. “It is quite painful when she grabs onto my hair.”

“And my beard,” Thorin said, bouncing Nyris on his knee. “If only she would pull her own hair instead,” he joked, running his fingers through her soft curls. Her hair was growing even faster than she was. It already covered her head in bouncy masses. Bilbo smiled at Thorin, who raised an eyebrow. “What?”

“I can’t tell who she favors more. You or Queen Uppity-“

“Watch your tongue, Halfling, or I’ll cut it from your head,” Thranduil said calmly, sitting apart from the others near the wall reading while the dwarves all reconnected with Bilbo. “And of course she favors me more. She is beautiful. Thorin looks like a cave troll on his best days,” he muttered as he turned a page.

Thorin rolled his eyes. “Yes, my dear, I am so terribly ugly you can barely stand to look upon me.”

“It is quite the struggle, Melamin,” Thranduil said, smiling into his book. 

Bilbo made an alarmed expression. “Are they _flirting_?” he asked Kili, who nodded, looking horrified.

“They do it _all the time_ ,” he groaned. “It’s terrifying.”

Fili snorted. “Like you are any better. At least they do not stick wildflowers in each other’s braids and recite poetry to each other when they are alone,” he said with a pointed look at Kili.

Thranduil hummed. “No, that was never our style. We just fuck.”

“Thranduil!” Thorin snapped, glaring across the room. “Have you no manners?”

Thranduil smirked and shook his head, never looking up from his book. “No shame, either.”

Thorin groaned. “It is amazing you and my sister hate each other so much, for you both are just as crass as the other,” he accused.

Thranduil finally looked up at that. “Well, she accused me of only being after your throne, called my child a bastard, called a captain of my guard a whore, and still refuses to apologize for any of those things nearly half a year later. I may be crass, but I’m not that horrible.”

“Well, you did hold us in your dungeons that one time,” Bilbo pointed out and Thranduil narrowed his eye at him. “What? It’s just true.”

Thranduil smirked, looking back to his book. “I held all but one of you in the dungeons anyhow. Nyris is proof at least someone wasn’t in a dungeon.”

“Thranduil, stop that,” Thorin sighed. He looked at Bilbo. “He’s not usually like this.”

“It’s fun to watch your friends squirm and they don’t usually all gather in one place,” Thranduil explained with a placid smile.

Thorin looked down at Nyris and tapped her chin. “Whatever you do, do not become as mad as your mother, my love.” She squealed and grabbed his hand in reply, which he assumed was a good enough response as any.

~

“My Lord!” Thorin snapped awake, sitting up in a rush, only to see a guard rushing in with Balin following. Thranduil whined against his side and rolled over pulling the covers over his head to block out the intrusion. 

“Thorin, there’s been an attack,” Balin cried, and Thorin barely had time to react before Thranduil snapped awake, sitting up quickly.

Thorin scrambled out of bed, rushing to pull on a robe. “What has happened? Tell me,” he demanded as he rushed to pull on his boots.

Balin sighed. “Two men. On their way to Dale for their day’s trade at the market.” He shook his head. “They didn’t stand a chance. Arrows just like the ones that killed Thranduil’s men when he came here.”

Thranduil looked at Thorin, eyes wide. “We have grown complacent. That’s what they counted on. They must know by now that they are too late to kill me and prevent a child being born. Now they will terrorize Erebor.”

Thorin nodded solemnly. “They will.” He sighed. “Call the council. We have put off this threat for far too long. The Easterlings will make a stand soon and we must be prepared.”

Thranduil climbed out of Thorin’s bed, unashamedly naked as he crossed the room. “I must make for my halls in Mirkwood,” he said, pulling on a thin robe.

Thorin’s heart clenched in fear and he stopped Thranduil, grabbing his forearm. “Are you sure that is a good idea? That is a long way to travel so soon after an attack. You could be walking into a trap.”

Thranduil shook his head. “This threat must be stopped. I am no longer at risk as I was when I came here.” 

“You are at risk of leaving your child without a mother,” Thorin said softly. “And me without a husband.” Thranduil gave him a warm look.

“Melamin, I have tricks even you do not know.” He raised his hand and cupping Thorin’s face. “I am in a much better position than when I was with child to get through my own forest unknown.”

Thorin nodded, though his eyes were still full of worry. “If you must, I understand. Just be careful. I couldn’t bear to lose you to an attack like this.”

Thranduil leaned down and brushed his lips to Thorin’s. “Le melin, Thorin.” He turned away in a swirl of his gown. “Balin, if you could, can you let someone know I need my horse within the hour?”

Balin nodded. “Sure. Are you sure that is enough time?”

Thranduil nodded, going to pull on some clothes. “Oh, I will need a weapon. Have something waiting for me, will you?”

“Of course,” Balin said, and he and the guards left Thorin and Thranduil to get dressed.

~

Thranduil packed a small pack onto his horse’s saddle and prepared to mount, only to be stopped. “Thranduil.” He looked back to see Thorin coming towards him.

“Thorin? Is there anything wrong?”

Thorin shook his head, then held up a sheathed sword. “You needed a weapon. Take mine,” he said, and Thranduil was surprised when he caught what he knew to be the sheathed Orcrist.

“I said a weapon, not _the king’s_ sword,” he said, and Thorin shrugged.

“It is a blade made for elven hands. You may wield it better than you could a heavy dwarven blade. I want to know you are safe and you were the one who allowed me to keep such a treasure of your kin in the first place. You cannot find a better sword in this mountain.” He took Thranduil’s hand, walking over to the horse with him. “Just be safe, my dear.”

Thranduil nodded, smiling. “I shall return within a week. Tauriel is staying here with Nyris, but still.” He to Thorin seriously. “Watch our daughter for me,” he said, allowing Thorin to help him up onto his horse, only to have his smile gentled when Thorin pressed a last kiss to his hand.

“Quel marth,” Thorin whispered and Thranduil raised an eyebrow at him as he turned his horse. 

“You will explain who has been teaching you that when I return,” he said, then nodded his head in parting as he started his horse at a canter, leaving the stables with haste. 

Thorin watched him until he was out of sight and then steeled the part of him that worried. He had to be a king for a while before he could once again worry about being a husband.

~

Thorin called for their visitors to come to him in the throne room. “My guests, I must apologize for this rather abrupt move, but it would be best if you all made for your homelands immediately,” he announced.

Elrond raised his eyebrows. “May I ask what calls for such terrible hospitality?” he asked and Thorin cringed.

“It is not a lack of manners on my peoples’ part, but rather the news that another attack occurred this morning.” He stood and walked down to meet him. “The Easterlings who attacked my husband and his kin have been spotted on rare occasion by patrols in the valley, but for a few months it has been quiet. No longer is this so,” he said, shaking his head. “Two of my kin were killed this morning as they made their way to the market at Dale with their newest wares. King Thranduil has left for his kingdom already. He has not been back since he arrived shot through the shoulder by the Easterlings’ arrow, but since Nyris is old enough she can be without him for a short time, he felt it necessary to go himself to his people and call his council about what we are to do.” He bowed. “Respectfully, I fear that the renewed aggressions may mean that this is the only chance you and your kin will get to escape any trouble along the road after you leave.”

Lord Celeborn nodded reluctantly. “I see. Perhaps it is for the best we prepare to leave first light tomorrow,” he agreed.

“I am sorry that the visit must be cut short. I know that not everyone has had a chance to meet the Princess in person and that you all wished to get a sense of her importance, but as it is, I fear it is for the safety of your people you leave as soon as possible,” he agreed. 

Lady Galadriel smiled serenely and bowed her head. “I wish you all the luck with your troubles, Thorin.” She spoke those words aloud, but in his head, Thorin heard other, far more private tidings. “Protect your child, Thorin, for the ones who would take her life will come and they will try to get into your mountain halls. Her destiny is not to die before her first year, but destiny is not always certain. Protect her, for she is not just your legacy. She is all of our future.”

~

Bilbo had left with the elves, in spite of wanting to stay. Thorin convinced him it was best he escape while he was safe, but he planned to stay in Dale until the danger was passed, no matter what Thorin tried to tell him. Thorin also was struggling to care for Nyris alone while also preparing patrols and setting up defenses for the kingdom and its people. It was not uncommon for him to be in a meeting with his council with Nyris in Thranduil’s fancy, shiny sling hanging on his chest. 

After two days without Thranduil, however, Nyris began to really get cranky. “Eme!” she whined, looking around from her sling. “Eme, eme, eme!” she cried.

“What is she saying?” Bofur asked, reaching over Kili to offer his hand to the little one. “Hush and I’ll make you a present,” he promised her with a soft, gentle tone.

She didn’t seem to like that, though, because she just started crying louder, pressing her face into Thorin’s chest. “Ada, eme!”

Thorin sighed, rubbing her back. “She’s speaking Thranduil’s language. He talks to her in it quite often. She’s asking for her mother,” he explained and she looked around suddenly.

“Eme?”

Thorin felt a pang of guilt. “No, my love. Your mother is not here.” She cried into his chest and he rocked her. “Ada knows.”

“Ada?”

“It means ‘father’,” Thorin explained. He winced when she let out a louder wail. “I am sorry, my friends,” he apologized but Gloin made a sound of dismissal.

“She’s a wee babe, she can’t help it,” he said and Thorin hummed.

“Yes, but we haven’t much time for interruptions,” he said, kissing her forehead. 

Tauriel stepped up from where she had been by the door, keeping her promise to Thranduil to guard Nyris, and bowed her head. “My Lord, I can take her to Lady Dis if you want. She did offer to watch her for you,” she reminded him.

Thorin sighed, looking down at her. “I do not like her out of my sight with Thranduil gone and danger upon us,” he said reluctantly.

Fili smiled. “Uncle, Mother will not let any harm come to her. She may not like Thranduil, but she loves her niece.” He nodded. “Let Tauriel take her to Mother. We can get finished quicker and you can go care for her again.”

Thorin reluctantly undid the sling, holding Nyris with his arm as he undid it. He folded the sling and passed it and Nyris to Tauriel. “Please be good for your aunt, Nyris.”

“Ada!” Nyris cried when he handed her to Tauriel. Tauriel turned to leave with her and Nyris’s head popped over her shoulder, looking very distressed. “ADA!” she cried, reaching out for Thorin before Tauriel turned the corner. He only heard one more cry of ‘Ada’ before Nyris was gone, but it hurt like being kicked in the stomach to allow his child to be taken away while calling for him. 

He took a breath and turned back, squaring his shoulders. “Let us continue,” he said tightly, sliding his hand across the map. “We have much ground to cover.”

~

Thorin was exhausted by the time he got a small amount of sleep and got back to the council room with the others. They all looked just as tired as he felt, but they had to continue on. “Have you seen Tauriel?” Kili asked as he came in, yawning. “I could not find her earlier.”

“She is probably with your mother and Nyris,” Thorin said dismissively. “You can find them later. I’m sure Nyris will be getting aggravating for them soon.”

Fili nodded. “I did not hear her crying any longer so I guess Mother took them both to Thranduil’s room so Kili and I would not be disturbed in our chambers. Poor child.”

Thorin nodded. “It is not an easy week for her,” he agreed. “Right, let’s get to planning. We determined where the best route or patrols to keep the traders going to Dale safe should be. That is our first start. Now we must try and decide where they are coming from. We will need to find where they are camped and we need some idea of how many there are if we are to find them and defeat them.”

Dwalin nodded. “Agreed. We have to stop them at their source. It cannot be too many of them. It has to be small groups.”

Oin nodded. “The Sea of Rhun is probably where the originated. There are towns there. Chances are they sailed the River Running to the borders of Mirkwood. Likely they have a main camp somewhere along the edges of Mirkwood, between the Lake and Thranduil’s kingdom. The parties attacking people between Dale and here are probably small parties who leave the main encampment.”

“Probably that is correct,” Thorin agreed. “Catching one of these small parties is our best chance of finding the main encampment. When Thranduil returns, he can help us more with the areas most suitable for a camp of the right size along that side of the lake.”

~

Thorin and the others were just taking a break to eat something when a servant came to inform Thorin that a host of elves had arrived. He smiled and thumped the table. “Gentlemen, our confusions over the campsite possibilities will be over soon now that Thranduil is back. He knows the borders of his own forest far better than our guesses at maps and Tauriel’s thoughts can.”

He made for the entrance hall, eager to see Thranduil again and learn what news he had gathered, only to come down the stairs and found that the blond elf standing at the fore of the group was Legolas, not Thranduil. “Legolas?” he asked as he walked closer. He looked around the group. “Where is your father?”

Legolas tilted his head curiously. “My father? He left a day before us. He said he did not like being so far from my sister- wait, is he not here?” Legolas asked quickly, voice shifting suddenly. “Did he not get back-“

“No, he did not,” Thorin replied in a slightly panicked tone. He turned to the nearest guard. “Go to the stables. See if Thranduil’s horse is in her stall.” He turned and immediately started back up the steps, Legolas following him. “KILI!” he shouted, and Kili came to the top of the steps, looking down.

“Uncle?”

“Where is Tauriel?!” he demanded.

Tauriel came running behind Kili, followed closely by the rest of his council. “My Lord?" she asked.

“Have you seen Thranduil?” he asked and she frowned.

“Of course not. He has not returned-“

“AHHHH!” They all turned towards the servants entrance to the main hall down below after the scream echoed through the halls. Thorin rushed to the balcony and a guard came rushing out of the corridor the scream came from.

“SOMEONE HAS KILLED THREE GUARDS IN THE STABLES!” he called out. “SOMEONE HAS INFILTRATED EREBOR!”

Thorin immediately turned to Tauriel, blood draining from his face. “When did you last see Dis and Nyris?” he asked in a fearful tone.

Tauriel’s eyes widened and her lips parted as she gasped. “Not since I took Nyris to her and she left for Lord Thranduil’s chambers. She dismissed me to go get some sleep and when she was not there this morning, the guards said they saw her going to the kitchens to get something to eat for Nyris in the night.”

Thorin wheeled around, rushing across the corridor. “GUARDS! FIND MY SISTER AND MY DAUGHTER!” he shouted, and Fili and Kili fell in behind him as they all sprinted for the royal family’s residential wing. He threw open the doors to Thranduil’s chambers, running through each room looking for Dis and Nyris just as he heard Fili, Kili, Ori, and Bifur doing in the other rooms. 

He came back out as the others came and all of them had found nothing. He truly began to panic as he rushed back to the main hall and found Legolas shouting orders to his elves – a party of about twenty-five of his royal guard – and rushed down the steps. “Legolas, you are sure your father has not returned to Erebor?” he demanded, and Legolas shook his head.

“No. They reported back that his horse has not returned.” He looked up the stairs at Tauriel. “Your king commanded you to watch my sister at every moment!” he shouted, and she shrank back some.

“I- I did not- I did not want to disobey Lady Dis, I-“ She let out a gasp. “I only did what she said.” She put a hand over her mouth. “Nyris is missing,” she realized and Thorin turned, looking at everyone who had gathered around them in the entrance hall.

“SOMEONE FIND MY CHILD!” he commanded, turning to Dwalin, who stood with a grim look on his face. “Call every man to arms that we can possibly spare. All those plans on patrols, all those resources are to be reallocated to finding my child. I do not care if we have to upend every stone in Rhovanion, I WILL FIND MY DAUGHTER!” he shouted, panic and anger whipping through him like a wildfire. “My husband and my daughter are missing and whoever took them will pay with blood. And if either of them are harmed, I will personally find those responsible and _burn them all_!” he hissed, eyes full of _rage_.

“What can I do?” Legolas asked, looking helpless. “Tell me what I can do.”

Thorin turned to him. “Your men are helping mine, yes? You will ride to Dale. Go to Bard and tell him that Thranduil and Nyris have been taken. Ask for as many men as he can spare to help the search parties. Begin searching along the borders of Mirkwood for whatever camp these Easterlings have set up. We determined they must have a main camp apart from the small raids they lead, so find that camp and we can find my family.”

Legolas nodded. “Ride out to meet us on the southern border of Dale as soon as you can. You can help me find those who murdered my kin, harmed my father, and abducted my sister.”

“I plan on it,” Thorin said darkly, turning to go to the armory and gather the gear he needed immediately.

~

One of the first patrols found Dis before night fell. She was alive, but badly wounded. Thorin made sure that she was in the best of care with Oin before setting out with a small party of only Fili, Kili, Tauriel, Dori, and Ori to try and meet up with Legolas to search the southern borders of Dale. 

Thorin only hoped that he could find his husband and child alive as well.

~

Thranduil could remember being knocked from his horse. He swam in and out of consciousness for he had no idea how long, and every time he woke he felt like there was someone else near him. The last few times he’d woken up, he observed a dark gray canvas above his head. He knew it was canvas, not a roof, because it had holes in it and the rain dripping through had woke him up.

He felt weak and weary when he finally woke up with some clarity. He had no idea what happened, but he could feel his hands and feet bound behind him and assumed he had been taken, possibly by the ones who were after his child. Nobody had come to him, and he could feel it. He was very parched. He had no idea how long he had been without water, but he felt like his mouth was filled with sand.

He rolled onto his front and to the other side to try and lessen some of the pain on his shoulder, and took deep breaths. He was weak, and his head spun, and he couldn’t even conjure the power to break his bounds with enchantment. His only relief, however, was that he was not his daughter and she was safe back in Erebor.

~

Thorin rode upon the southern border of Dale and spotted Legolas and some of his men standing with Bard. “Bard,” he greeted as he dismounted from his pony, going over to greet them.

“Thorin, I came with Legolas as soon as I heard,” he said, shaking his head. “Do not fear. We will find your daughter. I have sent a number of men to join the searches around Erebor.”

Thorin nodded. “Thank you.” He looked to Legolas. “Any idea of where they may be?”

“We hope that we have found a likely spot for the camp,” Legolas explained. “Somewhere between the river, the lake, the forest, and this city. It’s a large enough area, but we can hopefully cover it in two days, possibly less.”

“Good.” Thorin went to his pony and mounted once more. “Let’s not waste any time. The longer they have my daughter and my husband, the less likely it is I will get either back alive.”

~

Thranduil suffered much in his life, but the utter weakness he felt tied and left in a tent was still difficult to endure. He heard men speaking a language he barely could follow, some strange mix of an odd dialect of elven language and Westron with what he feared may be Black Speech. It was difficult to follow with his fuzzy head, but Thranduil did not care. He was willing to suffer whatever he must as long as they focused on him and not his daughter. 

… and then he heard a sound that made his blood run cold. 

He heard the sound of horses approaching and the wailing of a child that he knew quite well. He sat up so fast his neck cracked painfully, but he did not care. He heard cursing and there was a slap followed by an even louder wail that made him see red. Someone had struck his child. “Nyris,” he whispered fearfully.

He heard a voice not far from the tent. “Someone silence that mongrel for good. We do not need it alive. Just the body to prove we did not leave our master for no reason. They will welcome us when they find we discovered a prophecy of our Northern downfall and stopped it before it could even begin!” 

There was a round of cheers and Thranduil panicked, realizing what they meant to do to Nyris. With a wave of power he didn’t know he had left in him, he snatched the chains on his wrists off in one wrench and then ripped the shackles off his feet. He scrambled to his feet and staggered to the tent flaps. He peeked out and saw with a wave of panic that Nyris was on the ground in the middle of a circle, blood running down her face from an injury to hear forehead, crying and looking around in terror, fingers in her mouth while a man came from behind her with an ax. “NO!” he snarled, bursting out of the tent. He had no staff with which to do an enchantment and yet somehow from his very fingertips a wave of energy cleared a path through the ring of men, throwing them away from him several meters. “You will not harm my child,” he commanded, rushing through the bodies of the men he’d thrown to his child.

“EME!” she squealed, holding up her arms and he swooped her up with one arm and held her to his side while catching the man’s ax with his other, eyes full of rage and fire as he met the frightened eyes of the man. 

“You made a terrible mistake when you laid a hand on my child,” he spat, wrenching the ax from his grip. He tossed it in the air and caught it by it’s grip, swinging the ax so that it cleaved the man’s head from his shoulders before the terror ever left his eyes. He spun around, ax in hand, shielding a wailing babe against his chest. “Who will answer for the blood on my daughter’s face,” he snarled, voice full of rage. 

It only took a short moment for the Easterlings to gather their wits and attack him. He swung the ax indiscriminately, screaming in rage as he slashed and hacked at men coming after him. He managed to get to an opening and he used the last of his strength and swung the ax in an arc, cutting several men, before dropping it and turning to run. He was faster, more nimble, even in his injured and weakened state, and the adrenaline carried him far faster than they could keep up as he disappeared into the forest. He knew Mirkwood was dangerous at night, even for him, but it was far more dangerous for those who did not know his forest as he did.

He was able to disappear into the night with his daughter clutched close, slipping away from the Easterlings who had held him captive for he had no idea how long.

~

Thranduil startled awake when Nyris began to stir in his arm. He looked around, eyes wide, only to relax some when he realized it was only the sun that was causing her to wake. They both were covered in blood, both their own and some of that of the men Thranduil had killed, and they had settled to rest and fallen asleep not far from the river. He looked around, standing to get his bearings. He looked at Nyris and saw the horrible lump and cut on her forehead did not appear infected at least. “It’s alright,” he whispered, kissing her hair. 

“Eme,” she moaned feebly and Thranduil looked for a more comfortable area to sit and found a log not far from them. 

“Come,” he said, settling down to rock Nyris. He was cold and knew she was as well. He also knew she must be starving. He hated that she had already been weaned long enough ago that he could not nurse her to at least help her in some way. He removed his cloak, in spite of the chill being even worse, and twisted it to make a useable sling for Nyris. He wrapped it around his torso so that he could carry her snug against his chest, his cloak covering her for extra warmth against his chest. He would gladly go even colder if he could just keep his child warm.

“Eme.” Thranduil curled a hand over her head, leaning close to her. “Ma na ada?” she asked in the muddled speech of an infant.

“Where is Ada?” Thranduil repeated, brushing her curls gently. “Ada is probably searching for us, my sweet. We will find Ada soon, I promise.” He stood and looked up through the canopy to try and find the sun. As he looked around, he listened for the sounds of his forest and soon determined they couldn’t be much more than a few hours walk from his halls. The river had to be very near them. If he could get there, they could follow the river west to his halls and to safety. “We will set out for my kingdom,” he said to her. “You have not been there before, but we will get to safety and then send a whole army after those horrible men who hurt us.”

“Go away?” she asked and he nodded, swallowing against the wave of tears he felt coming at how scared she looked.

“They will go away forever,” he whispered, hugging her as he stood. “I will make sure they go away forever.”

~

When Thranduil stumbled onto the road to his halls, he crossed the bridge and immediately saw the guards near the doors react. He knew how he looked. He had blood streaking his golden hair red, dirt all over his face, and his clothing was ripped in many places. The blood of his enemies soaked his hands and wrists and Nyris was crying feebly against his chest as he staggered along the stone walk, weak, weary, driving himself on sheer determination to get his child to safety those last few miles.

“It is the king!” one of them cried, and Thranduil clenched his jaw, trying not to let his steps falter. He needed to remain strong for a little while longer. “King Thranduil, you are hurt!”

He staggered as Hanorlas, one of his personal guards when he was home, rushed through the gates with men rushing behind him. “I am alright,” he said strongly. He allowed Hanorlas to catch him around the back, helping him walk the last of the way. “My daughter needs immediate care and I have no time to call a council. You must take men, however many you can, arm them for battle, and then you must find the men who did this to her and destroy them,” he gritted out, rage overwhelming his pain and exhaustion for a moment.

“My King, you must rest-“

“I will rest when I am sure you know where you must strike,” he said with finality. “Take me to a map. I will show you where the Easterlings camp.”

Hanorlas nodded. “We shall find you a map and have a healer take your daughter at once.”

As Thranduil was half-carried into his halls, he felt a sick thrill of triumph at the knowledge that his captors would soon know the wrath of the Elfking. 

~

“PRINCE LEGOLAS!” There was a loud cry from ahead, near the edge of the forest along the river path, and Thorin and Legolas led their party that way. When they rounded a large segment of blocks, they found a party of guards from Legolas’s home, all heavily armed, in several boats that had stopped along the riverbank and were disembarking. 

“What is this? Hanorlas? Why are your men in arms and sailing east?” Legolas asked as he dismounted and rushed to one of the guards at the head of the group.

“Prince Legolas, I have good news,” the man near the front greeted, removing he helmet as he bowed to Legolas. “Your father and sister are safe. King Thranduil returned to us with the princess. It is on his orders we ride for the location of the camp where he was being held.”

Thorin rushed forward. “They are safe?!” he demanded, heart pounding. “They are alive and safe and healthy?” he pushed.

The guard nodded. “They are injured and weary, but they are both well. King Thranduil appeared to be covered in dangerous amounts of blood, but it turns out it was that of those who held him,” he said with a grim pride for his king.

Thorin felt a thrill of dark pleasure at the knowledge that Thranduil had hurt the ones who took him. “Good.” He looked to Legolas. “I say we join your father’s men and finish what Thranduil started.”

Legolas nodded grimly. “Let it be done.”

~

Thranduil sat in his chambers, looking into the fire while Nyris played on the floor with a toy he had found from Legolas’s youth. A little wooden elk that she made trot around her, seemingly unbothered by the bandage across her brow or the bruises on her tiny arms. They would heal fast enough, but they still had to hurt her, and yet she seemed unaware of them.

He waited for news of the raid. He had hopes that their fears were over. The way the Easterlings spoke, it sounded as if their party was the only faction that knew of the prophecy and his child. They were the only ones who were after them, it seemed. With them gone, they would be safe once again.

“Eme, look!” Nyris said, and he looked back to her, smiling gently when she made the toy hop along the floor. He treasured every second he glanced at her for he knew how close he had come to losing her. She was precious and perfect in every single way.

A commotion in the hall, the pounding of boots and a clatter made him rush and sweep her up, fear gripping him, even if he knew that logically, nobody could be inside the halls. He clutched her to his chest, facing the doors with fear. But when they flew open with a bang, it was Thorin who stood in the doorway. 

“ADA!” Nyris cried, reaching out immediately. “Ada here!”

“Thorin!” Thranduil cried in relief. He rushed forward as Thorin rushed to them. He met Thorin and wrapped his free arm around his husband as Thorin crushed him against his body, Nyris pinned between them.

“Mahal, I feared I would never see you again,” Thorin said in a rush, immediately looking to Nyris. Thranduil let Thorin take her but stayed near as Thorin clutched her to his chest, clinging to her. “Nyris, my love, I thought you were lost,” he choked out, tears straining his voice. “My child,” he moaned.

Thranduil reached out, curling his hand along Thorin’s jaw. “Is it done?” he asked, and Thorin’s eyes met his before he nodded firmly.

“Not a breath lasts in the bodies of the entire camp.” He reached up to clutch Thranduil’s hand to his face and it was clear he had scrubbed the blood from his hands, they were so clean. “They hurt you and our child. They made a grave mistake.”

Thranduil nodded, leaning down to brush a kiss to Thorin’s lips. “They realized that when I stopped them from killing her and left a trail of blood in my wake. I am glad that they are finished.” He shook his head. “They were the only ones who were after us. If they are all gone, we are safe.”

Thorin nodded. “Then we are safe, my dear.” He closed his eyes, forehead resting against Thranduil’s. “I thought I had lost you and Nyris and I could barely breathe.” Thorin kissed him gently. “I love you.” He turned his head and kissed Nyris’s curls. “And I love you even more.”

Thranduil held Thorin close, laying his cheek on Thorin’s head. “And we love you.” Thranduil’s lips curved as he tangled his fingertips in Thorin’s hair. “We are safe, and you have us in your arms, my love. All will be well now.”

“Yes, my dear, it will.”


End file.
